UPDATE 1-Prezzo profit rises on new restaurant launches

* H1 adj pretax profit 6.2 mln stg vs 5.1 mln stg yr ago

* Says confident for remainder of FY (Adds details)

Sept 8 (Reuters) - British pizza restaurant chain Prezzo Plc (PRZ.L) reported a 21 percent rise in first-half adjusted pretax profit, helped by new restaurants launches and improved margins, and said it was confident for the rest of the year.

The company, which opened seven new restaurants during the first half, said current trading was in line with expectations.

January-June pretax profit before items was 6.2 million pounds ($9.5 million), compared with 5.1 million pounds a year ago.

Revenue grew 11 percent to 48.4 million pounds. Overall branch profit margin was 14.4 percent, compared with 13.5 percent last year.

Prezzo, which recently agreed to buy 11 leasehold sites together with the Caffe Uno trade mark for 3.1 million pounds, said its recent trading gave it the confidence to reactivate its wider expansion plans. At 0738 GMT, Prezzo shares, which have gained 67 percent in value since the beginning of the year, were down 1 percent at 50 pence on Wednesday on the London Stock Exchange. ($1=.6513 Pound) (Reporting by Debasmita Ghosh in Bangalore; Editing by Anne Pallivathuckal)