British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s restaurant chain has gone into administration – putting more than 1 000 jobs at the firm’s 25 sites in the United Kingdom under threat.
The Jamie Oliver Group says it has appointed Will Wright and Mark Orton of KPMG to oversee the administration of the company. The firms will be managing Jamie Oliver Group’s creditors.
The move follows a tough 18 months for the chef’s business empire, which underwent a restructuring last year after a number of the company’s sites were reportedly under-performing. Oliver’s restaurant group includes Barbecoa, a steakhouse, and Jamie Oliver’s Diner.
The 43-year-old chef, who became famous for his popular TV shows, founded his Jamie’s Italian brand of high street restaurants in 2008. Oliver used his reputation to put pressure on politicians to combat growing child obesity problems by campaigning for healthier school meals.
His restaurant chain is the latest victim of a brutal trading environment on Britain’s high streets. In March, Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG) said it planned to close more than a third of its Giraffe and Ed’s Easy Diner outlets, while Carluccio’s, Prezzo, Strada and Gourmet Burger Kitchen closed branches in 2018.
