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Ferrari Formula 1 racing driver Lewis Hamilton's vegan burger business has hit a significant bump in the road after being forced to close down its UK branches.

Mr Hamilton's 'Neat Burgers' had closed all its UK branches, and a store in New York, earlier this year due to facing 'financial difficulties' after recording losses of more than £10 million in recent years.

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He launched the vegan burger empire in 2019 alongside Oscar winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio to give the high street a 'healthier option' for people that want to be 'meat-free'.

Hamilton says meat-free lifestyle is 'healthier' than meat diets

"'I believe we need a healthier high street option that tastes amazing and offers something exciting to those who want to be meat-free every now and again," Mr Hamilton said. 

In making the decision to close its 11 UK branches, the company has announced it will be taking time to evaluate a path forward in the future.  

'We are concentrating our efforts on our best performing restaurants — we believe that sometimes taking a step back is necessary to make a bigger leap forward," a statement from the company reads.

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"We have no further comment at this time, other than to confirm that the business has taken the difficult decision to close its UK restaurants."

Job losses

Around 150 members of staff are expected to lose their jobs as a result of the closures. 

Mr Hamilton is a seven-time F1 world champion, with his last title win coming three years after becoming a vegan.

Veganism

Speaking on how veganism has helped his diet, despite a five-year trophyless hiatus, he said: "I do feel the best I have felt in my life.

"I feel incredibly clean and healthy. I talk to my friends, family who said I could never go on a plant-based diet and never become vegan.

"My mindset is not to convince other people to do it. It is not easy [because] of being on the road and in different countries. Some people do not understand what a vegan is.

"It is very challenging. It is weird because once you go over that hill, I could never imagine going back.

Cow emissions

"I was not educated on just how bad it was [meat and dairy]. If you read about it, the emissions from cows being bred is far high from the emissions from cars which sounds crazy.

'It makes me feel sick'

"There are things I see my friends eating and I used to eat it, but it makes me feel sick to think what you are putting in your body.

"But now I have read about it and all the science [involved in veganism]." 

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