By George! BreadTalk's off the shelf

IT WAS only last October that George Quek, the executive chairman and chief executive officer of BreadTalk Group, told The Business Times that he had no plans to delist the homegrown food and beverage player.

But late on Monday, Mr Quek, his wife and a substantial shareholder announced a joint offer to take BreadTalk Group private.

It's been a challenging time for BreadTalk Group, the firm noted in the offer announcement. Indeed, the business environment the firm operates in has changed rapidly - and against its favour.