SWINDON’S Gourmet Burger Kitchen is set to close following an announcement that the chain will close 17 of its restaurants.

The Regent Circus eatery has been open for nearly three years but due to the company’s falling sales they have opted to enter a Company Voluntary Agreement.

In its latest trading update the high-end burger venue revealed like for like sales at GBK fell 9.7 per cent in the 26 weeks to August 26 2018, compared to a 3.2 per cent drop in the same period last year.

Famous Brands, the owner of GBK, states that the new business strategy during this time was flawed and driven by a race to market in areas not traditionally identified as GBK “heartland”.

“Compounding the under-performance in these areas was poor brand recognition in the north, trading formats that were not adapted to the market, and pricing and menus that were London-centric. Many of these schemes are over-traded in food and beverage. The rapid shift to online retail has also had the effect that the traditional anchor tenants have not been able to attract the kind of footfall they traditionally have relied on.”

Other locations that will be closing due to being categorised as unviable even after rent reductions include sites in London’s Soho, Bristol’s Park Street, Leicester, Fulham, Bedford, Milton Keynes, Glasgow Fort, Norwich, Newport and Sheffield’s Meadowhall.

It is one of a number of high street restaurants that have faced difficulties this year, including Jamie's Italian and Prezzo.