Scottish delicatessen chain McLeish Brothers has gone into administration.

Seven of its 10 stores have been shut immediately, leading to the loss of 175 jobs. The other stores will keep trading until a buyer is found.

Administrator Iain Fraser from Tenon Recovery in Aberdeen said: “McLeish Brothers quickly captured a niche in the market as a specialist Scottish delicatessen and was on track to achieve its goal of establishing a footprint in most major UK towns and cities. We think the business could appeal to an existing retail entrepreneur or national chain that wants to acquire a strong brand and access to a valuable network of Scottish food suppliers established by the company.”

The stores at Inverurie in Aberdeenshire, Schoolhill in Aberdeen and Whitehall in Dundee are all still trading.