Leon, founded in London in 2004, built its reputation on a menu of “naturally fast food”, offering salads, wraps, hot boxes and breakfast dishes marketed as a fresher, healthier alternative to traditional fast food.

The chain expanded rapidly in city centres, railway stations and transport hubs, but has struggled in recent years with rising costs and changing trading conditions.

Leon has now revealed that 23 company‑owned restaurants have ceased trading during a major restructuring process, while its franchised outlets are understood to be unaffected.

READ MORE: TV legend’s daughter selling £3.95m Oxfordshire mansion with swimming pool

The company formerly had an Oxford branch on Cornmarket Street which opened in 2018, but this closed two years ago.

Leon went into administration in December after coming under mounting financial pressure, with insolvency specialists from BTG Advisory and Quantuma brought in to examine options for the business.

Co‑founder John Vincent has since injected £2.5 million of his own money into the company as part of a rescue package that is expected to allow Leon to exit administration.

Following the shake‑up, the group will continue to trade with 43 sites across the country, made up of 20 company‑run restaurants and 23 franchised locations.

READ MORE: 80s music legend to play gig in Oxfordshire this week

A proposed Company Voluntary Arrangement, which sets out how Leon plans to deal with its creditors, is due to go before a vote on May 27.

Mr Vincent originally sold Leon to supermarket giant Asda in 2021 but bought the business back in October 2025 as financial problems deepened.

He said management had been concentrating on rebuilding the brand since the buy‑back and acknowledged that widespread closures were inevitable if the chain was to survive.

Staff who were unable to move to other Leon branches were offered the chance to apply for positions at Pret A Manger, although the business has not disclosed how many jobs have been lost.

Leon has also brought back several senior figures from its earlier growth phase to help steer the turnaround, including Mr Chris Burford as chief financial officer and Nick Scovell as operations director.

READ MORE: Cotswolds walk the ‘most beautiful’ in the world says American couple

The company plans to revamp its menu over the coming year, promising refreshed versions of existing dishes and the return of popular favourites in a bid to strengthen its position in the crowded fast‑food market.

Mr Vincent admitted the restructuring process had been bruising but argued it was essential to safeguard Leon’s future.

He said the chain can now move out of administration and continue “its rejuvenation as a smaller but more sustainable company”.

“There is a lot of affection for Leon, and I am committed to working on behalf of our guests, teams and suppliers to make the company what people want it to be,” he said.

Oxford’s British Orchard Nursery, in Old London Road in Wheatley, was inspected by Ofsted and was found to ‘need attention’.

Inspectors raised concern about children’s achievement stating in the report that ‘the youngest children often have dummies in their mouths when they are happy and content, which limits opportunities for them to develop clear speech’.

Concerns about children’s welfare and wellbeing were also brought up stating that ‘potential hazards go unnoticed, such as heavy doors that may lead to children trapping their fingers’.

The inspection also revealed that “leaders have yet to implement a sufficiently ambitious curriculum and they do not consistently recognise or minimise possible hazards”.

Despite this, the inspection recognised that staff support all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and they provide a welcoming and supportive environment.

READ MORE: Classic car enthusiast drives 2,300 miles to raise funds for vital cause

Oxford’s British Orchard Nursery, on Old London Road, in Wheatley (Image: Google Maps)

In 2024 the nursery received complaints about childcare provision.

Ofsted received a notification in June from the provider where a child was exposed to hazards.

The nursery also notified Ofsted of an allegation made against a member of staff.

Following regulatory visits and telephone regulatory calls from Ofsted the provider was found to not be meeting some of the requirements needed.

The nursery was asked to ensure all staff had a DBS check, some staff knew paediatric CPR, and implement better checks on all staff hired to work there.

The nursery was rated ‘requires improvement’ after its first inspection in 2019.

However inspectors in 2020 and 2023 rated the nursery as ‘good’.

• An earlier version of this article stated that Ofsted found the nursery ‘requires improvement’. This was not the exact wording used by Ofsted and we have updated the article as a result.

Swimmers of all ages and abilities can enjoy fresh air and exercise at the 50m Woodgreen open-air pool from Monday, May 18.

The Banbury Triathlon kicking off the new season with their annual event on Sunday.

Refurbishments have taken place ahead of the new season, including installing flooring for the aqua splash area and new, more durable tiles around the pool.

These follow on from last years £130,000 refurbishment.

The improvements include an accessible, step-free shower for people with disabilities.

The changing rooms and lockers have been reconfigured for ease of use.

Councillor Rob Pattenden, portfolio holder for healthy communities, said:

“We’re really pleased to be welcoming the people of Banbury and beyond for another outdoor swimming season, with further upgrades to our Woodgreen pool now complete.

READ MORE: Alton Towers owner backs new Puy du Fou theme park plans

“We continue to invest in Woodgreen, not only because swimming is such a great way to improve your health and fitness, but because a facility like this has such an important role in bringing friends, families and communities together over summer.”

The Woodgreen outdoor pool is operated by Legacy Leisure on behalf of Cherwell District Council with financial contributions from Banbury Town Council.

Last year, tickets for adults cost £5.83 and £3.82 for seniors and juniors. Babies under three, go free.