Burger King to create 1,250 jobs in the UK

Fast food chain Burger King announced yesterday it was to create 1,250 jobs next year. Burger King, owned by drinks giant Diageo, will generate the full and part time positions by opening 35 restaurants, bringing the total number of UK outlets up to 720. The move is part of a long-term plan to open 300 Burger King restaurants over the next five years, creating a total of 11,000 jobs in the process. The expansion plans come after a tough period for the chain, which saw global profits slump, the foot-and-mouth crisis and BSE all hit home. But Burger King's UK general manager, Eric Bonnot, said: "Despite some difficult circumstances, 2001 was a successful year for Burger King in the UK. We have enjoyed consistently good sales levels and the long-term growth prospects are very encouraging." Mr Bonnot said as well as expanding, the group was improving the product range and refurbishing existing restaurants. Diageo intends to spin off Burger King but earlier this year said it could not separate out the company until its performance had improved. The group, which owns Smirnoff and Guinness, completed the sale of its Pillsbury food business last month as part of a strategy of becoming more sharply focused on premium drinks.