A fried chicken chain has been forced to close two restaurants due to the rising cost of energy.

The Bok Shop, which first opened in Brighton in 2017, announced it would close its restaurant in The Beacon shopping centre in Eastbourne after it had become “increasingly difficult” to keep the venue open due to “insane” spikes in energy costs.

Its outlet in Southampton will also permanently close.

In a statement, co-owners Jamie O’Mara and Howard Kaye said: “We have made the incredibly hard decision to permanently close our Southampton and Eastbourne restaurants.

“It has become increasingly difficult to keep these large units running after such insane price increases such as energy.

“Although it feels like a couple of steps back, it’s all in the name of progress and we’re grateful to have two other awesome shops in Brighton and Hastings that will continue to serve up all of the fried goodness you could ever want.

“We’d like to take this opportunity to thank our amazing teams across all shops, and thank you to our customers for your continued love and support - not just us, but to all independent businesses.

“We’re really feeling it right now so your support means the world to us.”

The Bok Shop also teased some upcoming changes to its menu in a post on Instagram.

The pair teamed up five years ago to create an “authentic chicken shop menu” with a twist, spending over a year on menu development ahead of opening.

With both Jamie and Howard both growing up in London, the concept is inspired by the capital’s fried chicken culture.

The restaurant offers “goku” wings coated in a sweet and tangy Japanese style sauce, “bokadoosh” wings with pickled red chili and “bokanaise”, and the “Jennifer Buffalopez” burger, doused in honey and ginger buffalo sauce.