Bedroom and kitchen furniture retailer Betta Living has appointed administrators, putting about 300 jobs at risk.

The company has closed all of its 24 stores nationally, including at Aylesford Retail Park and a concession inside Dobbies in Ashford, citing “rising occupational costs” from new stores.

Many customers have been told they will not have goods delivered, even if they have paid for them.

Orders with the company are not being dispatched, with administrators FRP Advisory LLP set to write to customers this week.

Roger Mapstone, of Seabrook Road, Hythe, paid a deposit of £500 for a new kitchen, which was due to be delivered on Monday.

“We paid a deposit of £500 which I don’t suppose we will get back...” - Betta Living customer Roger Mapstone

He said: “We knew nothing about them going bust until this morning.

“We chose Betta Living because they were a family-run business with more than 50 years’ experience of providing quality kitchens.

“We are absolutely gutted. We had local fitters lined up to take delivery of the units and install them straight away after taking out our old kitchen.

“We paid a deposit of £500 which I don’t suppose we will get back.”

The Oldham-based business, formally known as Dean House Limited, and its assets have been put up for sale.

In the last few years the firm had expanded rapidly, including opening its Aylesford store in 2014, growing revenues from about £16 million to £50 million.

However, it started making losses as the cost of its premises increased, squeezing cashflow to “unsustainable levels”.

Anthony Collier, joint administrator and partner at FRP Advisory, said: “We are currently working with all stakeholders to see if we can find a solution that rescues the business and would ask any parties interested in any aspect of the business to make contact as soon as possible.

“Betta Living is a business with a strong brand and is well known up and down the country.

“At present the business has however ceased to trade and orders are not currently being despatched.

"We will be reviewing the order book and writing to individual customers this week..." - Anthony Collier, FRP Advisory

"We will be reviewing the order book and writing to individual customers this week.

“If any customer has a query we would ask them to consult the company’s website or contact us at bettaliving@frpadvisory.com.”

Wren Kitchens, which has branches in Aylesford and Broadstairs, said it would honour any kitchen quotes given by Betta, although it reserved the right to withdraw the offer in the event of high demand.

Managing director Mark Pullan said the company had made the decision to “maintain the public’s trust in the UK kitchen market”.

He said: “For those customers who have paid a deposit and are worried that they may have lost money then please email or go into your nearest Wren store with both your kitchen order and proof of payment and Wren will not only match the quote provided by Betta Living but we will also honour any deposit you have paid up to 10% of the order value.”