Queensland's Quinn family buys troubled chocolate company Darrell Lea, announces store closures and job cuts

A QUEENSLAND family has bought troubled chocolate maker Darrell Lea and will restructure the company, shedding hundreds of jobs.

A QUEENSLAND family has bought troubled chocolate maker Darrell Lea and will restructure the company, shedding hundreds of jobs.

The Quinn family, associated with the VIP pet food company, struck a deal to buy the confectionary company and plans to restructure the loss-making business.

The restructure will result in 246 permanent and 172 casual Darrell Lea employees being made redundant.

"Our company has a strong history of building sustainable Australian-based businesses, and it is our aim to do the same with Darrell Lea," a Quinn family spokesperson said.

The remaining 27 Darrell Lea company-owned loss-making stores will cease trading this Sunday and the company will continue sales through the network of 1,200 licensed retailers.

The directors of Darrell Lea appointed PPB Advisory as Voluntary Administrators on July 10.

The Lea family in a statement today said it had been a very challenging period for everybody involved with the Darrell Lea business.

"The family believes that it has acted to the best of its ability to protect the interests of staff, licensees, suppliers and other key stakeholders," the family said.

"The family wish the new investors success in their efforts to maximise the considerable value that exists within the business."