It has been a challenging few weeks for Jamie Oliver, after his restaurant chain collapsed into administration in May, leaving 1,3000 jobs at risk. But the celebrity chef has received some positive news, after his final three restaurants have been saved from closure.
Food-to-go specialist group SSP, which owns Upper Crust and Ritazza Coffee, has bought Jamie’s three outlets at Gatwick Airport – Jamie Oliver’s Diner, Jamie’s Coffee Lounge, and Jamie’s Italian. The rescue deal will save 250 jobs, and means Jamie will continue to have four of his eateries open to the public in the UK, as his Fifteen Cornwall restaurant is run independently of his group as a charity.
Jamie Oliver's final three UK restaurants have been saved from closure
Jamie hasn’t addressed the news on social media, but is sure to be happy that some jobs have been saved. The father-of-five said he was “deeply saddened” in May after confirming that his restaurant group had called in administrators when it struggled to find a buyer.
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"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.
The celebrity chef's restaurant chain went into administration in May
He added: "We launched Jamie’s Italian in 2008 with the intention of positively disrupting mid-market dining in the UK high street, with great value and much higher quality ingredients, best in class animal welfare standards and an amazing team who shared my passion for great food and service. And we did exactly that."
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It has been a difficult year for Jamie, who was forced to close several of his restaurants in 2018 after Jamie’s Italian amassed debts of £71.5million, and Barbecoa Ltd went into administration, meaning he had to close one of the two central London restaurants. However, he has remained positive on his social media channels, and continued to share inspirational recipe posts with his 7.3 million Instagram followers.
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