Raymond Blanc forced to shut 37 premises after Hiscox BI claim battle

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The french celebrity TV chef has restaurants in London, Oxford, Wiltshire and Milton Keynes

TV chef Raymond Blanc has been forced to close 37 of his premises due to lock down measures laid down by the government in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite having insurance in place, Blanc claims that his insurer Hiscox is not paying out for the company’s business interruption claim, The Times reports.

Blanc is chef patron to Brasserie Bar Co, which employs 1,400 staff. The chain took out business interruption insurance from Hiscox that covers damage caused by “an occurrence of any human infection or…contagious disease” on the basis that a local authority has been notified.

While some eateries remain open after repurposing as takeaways, Blanc’s string of restaurants have been unable to do so.

Blanc told Insurance Times: ”Brasserie Bar Co has a valid business interruption claim, which has been declined by Hiscox. In line with our insurance policy we’ve instructed lawyers to pursue arbitration.

”This has been forwarded to Hiscox who are required to respond to us in good time. We have a long established, respected business with many highly skilled and loyal employees and I am very proud of all we have achieved. It is hugely disappointing that a business partner and our primary insurer has responded in this way under the circumstances.”

Rebuttal

Meanwhile a spokesperson for Hiscox told Insurance Times: “We understand these are incredibly difficult times for businesses and we are paying claims that are covered by the policies we issue fairly and quickly. We review every case individually, and if any customer has concerns about the application of their policy, we encourage them to get in touch with us directly.”

The news of Blanc’s battle with Hiscox follows chef Antonio Carluccio’s italian restaurant chain going into administration at the beginning of April with lockdown measures in the UK pushing the restaurant group over the edge.