Clapham House Group (CHG), the restaurant operator behind the Gourmet Burger Kitchen and The Real Greek brands, has warned of a "challenging" outlook, despite improved August sales.

Ahead of its annual general meeting, the company said it had seen signs of a return to pre-World Cup sales trends. However, it admitted that the weekly performance of its outlets remained "volatile". CHG also revealed that plans to roll out the Gourmet Burger Kitchen brand are continuing, with the launch of a site at London's O2 complex yesterday (6 September) adding to a new Nottingham outlet opened earlier this year.

Group chair David Page said: "The UK trading environment and outlook remain challenging and although August has shown signs of a return to the improved pre-World Cup sales trends, weekly performance remains volatile." Page also confirmed that the group had received a takeover approach in late July, but negotiations remain ongoing and there is no guarantee that an offer will be forthcoming.