It has been announced that Jamie Oliver's Fifteen Cornwall restaurant has closed, leading to the loss of 100 jobs. Staff at the restaurant, which trained apprentice chefs from disadvantaged backgrounds, were told the news on Thursday. Although Fifteen Cornwall uses chef Jamie Oliver's name under license, the eatery is actually owned by the charity Cornwall Food Foundation. Approximately 70 of the staff at the restaurant will be left without jobs, while 30 members of staff at the charity will also be affected.
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Financially, the famous chef has no stake in the restaurant, neither was he involved in its day-to-day running. After learning of Fifteen Cornwall's closure, Jamie released a statement that read: "I am very surprised and saddened to learn that Fifteen Cornwall and the Cornwall Food Foundation have closed.
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Fifteen Cornwall's statement
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"Both organisations have always been run separately from us but the team has done an amazing job with the trainee programme, training over 200 chefs and reaching so many more along the way – so this is a huge blow. My thoughts are with everyone affected."
Matthew Thomson, chief executive of the Cornwall Food Foundation, said: "This is an incredibly sad day for everyone and we will try our best to support those who have been impacted. I am profoundly sorry for the hurt, loss and distress this announcement will undoubtedly cause."
He continued: "We are extremely grateful to all our loyal customers and amazing suppliers and to the partners, staff and trainees that have made Fifteen Cornwall and the Cornwall Food Foundation so special for almost 14 years."
The resultant itself also commented on the sad news, saying: "We are deeply saddened to announce that Fifteen Cornwall will close and cease trading with immediate effect."
In May, Jamie said he was "deeply saddened" after confirming that his restaurant group had called in administrators when it struggled to find a buyer. "I appreciate how difficult this is for everyone affected. I would also like to thank all the customers who have enjoyed and supported us over the last decade, it’s been a real pleasure serving you,” Jamie said in a statement at the time.
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