Thousand jobs axed as Jamie Oliver’s restaurants collapse into administration

Jamie Oliver

One thousand restaurant staff have been told they have lost their jobs as Jamie Oliver’s restaurant crashed into administration.

All but three of the restaurant chain’s 25 venues have been closed as the business became the latest victim of the downturn in the restaurant trade.

Will Wright and Mark Orton from KPMG’s Restructuring practice have been appointed joint administrators to the Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group Limited, and its subsidiaries Jamie’s Italian Limited, Jamie’s Italian Holdings Limited, One New Change Limited and Fifteen Restaurant Limited.

The Group employs approximately 1,300 staff across 25 restaurants across the UK, including 22 under the Jamie’s Italian brand, in addition to Jamie Oliver’s Diner at Gatwick Airport, Barbecoa and Fifteen London.

There have been a number of high profile victims in the sector over the last 12 months including Cau. Chains such as Carluccio’s, Byron Burger and Gourmet Burger have all been forced to close restaurants in recent months.

The group recently carried out a process to secure additional investment into the business and, since the beginning of this year, Jamie Oliver has made available additional funds of £4m to support the fundraising.

However, with no suitable investment forthcoming and in light of the very difficult current trading environment, the directors resolved to appoint administrators.

Following their appointment, all but three of the Group’s 25 eateries have closed.

Both Jamie’s Italian restaurants and Jamie Oliver’s Diner at Gatwick Airport will continue to trade in the short term while the joint administrators explore options for the site.

Jamie Oliver Holdings has made arrangements to ensure all restaurant staff salaries will be paid up to the date of the administrators’ appointment.

The international restaurants trading as Jamie’s Italian, Jamie’s Pizzeria and Jamie’s Deli will continue to trade as normal and are not affected by the administration of the UK restaurant business.

Will Wright, partner at KPMG and joint administrator, said: “The current trading environment for companies across the casual dining sector is as tough as I’ve ever seen.

“The directors at Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group have worked tirelessly to stabilise the business against a backdrop of rising costs and brittle consumer confidence. However, after a sales process which sought to bring new investment into the business proved unsuccessful, the team took the incredibly difficult decision to appoint administrators.

He continued: “Unfortunately, with insufficient funds available to be able to trade the business in administration, all but the Gatwick airport restaurants have now closed.

“Our priority in the coming hours and days is to work with those employees who have been made redundant, providing any support and assistance they need.”

Unite national officer Louisa Bull said:  “News that Jamie Oliver’s restaurant group has gone into administration, putting 1,300 jobs at risk is a devastating blow for the chain’s hardworking and loyal workforce.

“This is another dark day for the UK high street, following hard on the heels of the collapse of Patisserie Valerie early this year.

“Restaurants are not being helped by the current economic uncertainty, although those businesses like Jamie Oliver’s that dashed for expansion in recent years seem particularly precarious.

“As ever, it is the workers at the restaurant and in the supply chain who bear the heavy cost of boardroom decisions.

“Unite, which has some members working in the Jamie’s Italian chain , is seeking urgent assurances that the staff will be protected and paid all the money they’re owed, including wages, holiday and redundancy.”

List of Group’s Restaurants:
Birmingham Jamie’s Italian
Brighton Jamie’s Italian
Cambridge Jamie’s Italian
Cardiff Jamie’s Italian
Edinburgh Jamie’s Italian
Glasgow Jamie’s Italian
Guildford Jamie’s Italian
Leeds Jamie’s Italian
Liverpool Jamie Oliver’s Italian
London – Islington Jamie’s Italian
London – Covent Garden Jamie Oliver’s Italian
London – Gatwick North Jamie’s Italian Coffee Lounge
London – Gatwick North Jamie’s Italian
London – Gatwick South Jamie Oliver’s Diner
London – London Bridge Jamie’s Italian
London – Piccadilly Jamie’s Italian
London – Victoria Jamie’s Italian
London – Westfield White City Jamie’s Italian
London – Westfield Stratford Jamie’s Italian
London – One New Change Barbecoa
London Fifteen
Manchester Jamie’s Italian
Nottingham Jamie’s Italian
Oxford Jamie’s Italian
York Jamie’s Italian

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