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A vegan restaurant which promised to “eradicate world hunger by 2040” closed without paying staff their last month’s wages.

GIVE Kitchen, funded by Paul Hampson of Hampson Hughes Solicitors, closed its doors in June after just three months.

However, the restaurant, which pledged to give away a meal to a homeless shelter for every meal purchased, insisted they will resolve the staff pay issues “as quickly as possible.”

Staff at the restaurant claim they were told they would be paid in full at the end of June - but days later are still to receive a single penny after the company filed for insolvency. Some workers say they are having to dip into their savings accounts to pay rent and buy food while others are relying on loans from friends and family.

Look inside Give Kitchen:

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One said: “I came into work expecting to work a full day and I was just told that they were closing. Payroll workers from Hampson Hughes came down and just started shutting up shop. They told us we’d all be paid as usual at the end of the month.

“Now I’ve had to dip into my savings account to pay my rent. Luckily I’m OK but I know a few of my colleagues are now having to borrow money from friends and family or sleep on couches.

“It’s so ironic that a company that aimed to do so much good could end up actually making things so difficult for its staff.”

The restaurant opened with the goal of “eradicating world hunger, poverty and disease by 2040”.

Paul Hampson, founder and financier of Give Kitchen has confirmed that company is now in the hands of an insolvency practioner who will place it into liquidation .

He said: “It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that Give Kitchen has been placed into liquidation. Give Kitchen was borne out of a personal aspiration to set up a vegan business and one for one giving company that contributed to society.

“It started its life as an online food delivery service in February 2015. Then, in April of this year, a restaurant was opened with the hope of expanding its audience and increasing its sales.

“However, despite best efforts, it became apparent that the business was not sustainable. Despite popularity among visitors to the restaurant, revenue was lower than expected. Interest in the online meals also waned, making the business, without further investment, insolvent.

“Keen to see it succeed, every attempt was made to cut costs and increase sales. I also continued to bolster the business despite it posting significant losses. Unfortunately, after making £500,000 investment over the course of the business, which I will not get back, I had no choice but to draw a line as the cash simply wasn’t there.

“The absolute priority now is to work with an appointed insolvency practitioner, follow the correct liquidation procedure and ensure issues affecting creditors, including the staff, are dealt with as swiftly as possible”.