The investment will fund the development of new sites for its established Brasserie Blanc brand and White Brasserie Company pub format over the next five years. The group aims to grow to 40 outlets across the UK by 2016 from the current 11.

Brasserie Bar Co chief executive Mark Derry says, ‘This capital injection will allow for more rapid expansion of our brasserie businesses and is testament to the resilience of our existing restaurants which are trading well and providing good returns on investment.

‘While by no means immune to difficulties in the wider economy, operators in the premium casual dining sector who are able to offer quality of service and product continue to perform well. This, combined with the trend for eating out which has become an established part of day to day life in the UK, means we are well positioned to roll out the business.’

Brasserie Bar Co, which opens its new headquarters office in Teddington this month, grew turnover by 12.5 per cent to £11.6 million last year, with only one new opening in the period, according to the company’s 2010 annual report.

Brasserie Blanc is a French brasserie-styled restaurant chain that has nine outlets in the UK. The White Brasserie Company, which was launched in August 2010, is a pub dining business with two sites in Weybridge and Teddington.

In January last year, the group raised £4 million, mainly from existing shareholders, to continue the expansion of the business.

Core makes growth capital and acquisition-led investments of £5 million to £20 million in a range of sectors. It closed its latest fund, Core Capital I LP, at £76.2 million in July this year.