What’s Cooking? founder returns in rescue from administration

Lee Brennan, the founder of What’s Cooking? has rescued his business out of administration almost two decades after selling it.

He founded the Liverpool-based restaurant in 1978, aged 21, and sold up in 1996 before going on to set up Panama Hatty’s – two restaurants in Manchester and Cheshire.

Darren Brookes and Gary Corbett of Milner Boardman were drafted in to act as the joint administrators on 11 November to CS Living Ltd, which traded as What’s Cooking? and What’s at Sixty Two?: a second restaurant opened this year at a hotel with the address 62 Castle Street.

This newer restaurant was shut down with 30 redundancies before the administrators arrived on the scene.

With the original restaurant premises at Albert Dock at risk of closure, Lee Brennan has decided to take up the mantle once more.

Mr Brennan said: “It's an iconic brand in Liverpool and there was a danger someone would close it and just take the site. We've managed to keep it going and we've kept 35 staff on.

"What's Cooking's 40th anniversary is just around the corner. It would be great to think an independent restaurant brand I started when I was 21 will hopefully reach 40. It's quite a milestone."

The founder has dished out £10,000 in deposits for What’s At Sixty Two? customers to avoid any discord that could have arisen and to encourage goodwill.

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Related information:
Hotels and eateries for sale
CS Living Ltd in administration

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