Administrators to Jamie Oliver’s restaurant chain say 22 sites have closed resulting in 1,000 redundancies after the business collapsed.
KPMG said attempts to bring fresh investment into the celebrity chef’s business – at a time of rising costs and fragile consumer confidence – had failed.
The business was left without enough cash to trade while in administration, meaning that all but three of its 25 eateries have closed.
Jamie Oliver said he was “deeply saddened” as the collapse – first reported by Sky News – was announced.
KPMG said Mr Oliver had made additional funds of £4m available since the start of this year as the business sought new backing.
“However, with no suitable investment forthcoming and and in light of the very difficult trading environment, the directors resolved to appoint administrators,” the statement added.
It said Jamie Oliver’s holding company had made arrangements for all restaurant staff salaries to be paid up to the date of the collapse.
The administration encompasses the Jamie’s Italian chain as well as the celebrity chef’s remaining Barbecoa site in London and Fifteen London, the restaurant he launched after he was catapulted to fame through his Naked Chef TV programme.
Together they employ approximately 1,300 staff.
Three sites in London’s Gatwick airport will continue to trade “in the short term”, KPMG said.
International restaurants trading as Jamie’s Italian, Jamie’s Pizzeria and Jamie’s Deli are not affected by the administration process for the UK business.
The failure of the chain comes just two years after it narrowly averted an earlier collapse.
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