Shropshire Star

Former Jamie’s Italian sites sold off by administrators

The celebrity chef’s restaurant chain collapsed in May, leading to 22 closures and around 1,000 redundancies.

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Jamie’s Italian

Jamie’s Italian’s former restaurant sites have been sold off by administrators, with a number being picked up by rival restaurant chains.

Property advisers Christie & Co were brought in by administrators to sell off 20 former Jamie Oliver sites after the celebrity chef’s restaurant group collapsed in May.

Administrators KPMG closed 22 of Jamie Oliver’s 25 restaurants, leading to around 1,000 redundancies, after investment could not be secured to keep them trading.

The celebrity chef said he was “devastated” by the collapse of his restaurant business, which included Jamie’s Italian, Barbecoa and Fifteen.

KPMG tasked Christie & Co with finding buyers for 20 former Jamie’s Italian sites across the UK, including seven in London, as well as units in Glasgow and Brighton.

Simon Chaplin, senior director at Christie & Co said: “Many of these sites are in prime locations within key towns and cities, which helped attract a wide variety of operators and bids.

“We are therefore pleased to have achieved a positive outcome for the joint administrators.”

Indian restaurant business Dishoom is one rival group to have secured a former Jamie’s Italian site, and will use it for an expansion of its neighbouring restaurant in Covent Garden, central London.

Richard Caring’s The Ivy Collection has also reportedly snapped up to two sites in London Victoria and Cardiff, as well as the former Barbecoa unit in St Paul’s.

The last three remaining Jamie Oliver restaurants in the UK were saved from closure in June, after being snapped up by food-to-go specialist SSP Group.

The three outlets at Gatwick Airport – Jamie Oliver’s Diner, Jamie’s Italian and Jamie’s Coffee Lounge – were bought out of administration by the Upper Crust-owner, saving 250 jobs.

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