Administrators have been appointed to Merchant Inns, the pub operator owned by veteran property magnate Sir John Ritblat.
Though the small chain of seven pubs had been trading strongly, Neville Kahn and Nick Edwards of Deloitte were appointed after "the discovery of a number of previously unknown financial liabilities in the business in recent weeks, which made it impossible to continue running the business at it stands."
Kahn said: "It is our intention to continue to trade the business, with a view to selling each of the pubs as a going concern - they are of extremely high quality, in first rate locations and we are confident of finding a buyer in the near term."
The Talbot Inn in Ripley, Surrey is one of the portfolio of pubs, with hotel rooms and restaurants, for sale. Colliers Robert Barry has been mandated to market the sites, which could fetch up to £25m.
Sir John Ritblat and leisure entrepreneur Robert Breare bought Merchant Inns, a small UK-based pub chain of five, in October 2007. The deal valued the chain at £11m.
The portfolio was increased to seven when Merchant Inns bought two properties including the Saracen's Head in Great Dunmow, Essex. Sir Ritblat and Breare had plans to invest £200m to develop the business into a chain of 50 pubs with accommodation.
