More than 100 stores owned by independent off-licence chain Wine Cellar have been sold after the company went into administration on Wednesday.

Administrator Deloitte announced that 109 of the company's 170 stores trading under Booze Buster, Simply Drinks and Simply Food & Drinks in the north of England had been sold to EFB Retail. The company is owned by Raj Chatha, a non-exec director of Nisa-Today's board, who owns drinks wholesaler European Food Brokers and runs 16 off-licences.

Deloitte said the sale had saved 700 jobs, including 60 at its HQ. The remaining 61 stores would not continue to trade and 320 employees had been made redundant. The company had undertaken an extensive search to find an investor or buyer, said Bill Dawson, a partner in the reorganisation services practice.

Wine Cellar made pre-tax losses of £956,000 in the year to January 2008, according to accounts at Companies House.

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