Richard Caring, the owner of the Ivy and Sexy Fish, is considering a bid for the restaurant group which houses The Wolseley and The Delaunay after a row with its largest shareholder plunged it into administration.

Mr Caring, who also owns private members’ club Annabel’s, is due to meet with Corbin & King’s majority shareholder Minor International early this week over a potential deal, The Sunday Times reported.

It is understood that Minor and FRP, which were appointed administrators this month, have received as many as 40 expressions of interest for the business.

It comes just days after the restaurant group was pushed into administration following a bust-up between Minor, a Thai hotel group, and Corbin & King’s co-founder Jeremy King. Mr King has said it is “under siege” from Minor and maintained that “there is absolutely no need to go into administration”.

Meanwhile, Dillip Rajakarier, chief executive of Minor, has taken aim at Mr King, saying: “Contrary to the picture that Mr King is trying to paint, the business is insolvent and is in strong need of further financial support.”

Minor claimed it had offered to inject more cash into the business but had been rebuffed by Mr King who has refuted this, arguing the offers included terms to force him out.

The move to place Corbin & King into administration has sparked a scramble for the restaurant group, with US fund Knighthead having also made an approach last week. Knighthead had been in talks with Mr King over financing before Minor took the step to place Corbin & King into administration. It has made a £38m offer to refinance all the loans owed to Minor, and is working together with Mr King.

Minor and FRP declined to comment. Mr Caring did not respond to requests for comment.