Jamie Oliver's restaurant empire, including Jamie's Italian, Barbecoa, and Fifteen, has entered administration, putting 1,000 jobs at risk. The celebrity chef blamed the collapse on the struggling casual dining sector, the decline of the UK high street, and soaring business rates. Administrators KPMG echoed this, citing a tough trading environment.
Staff at Jamie's Italian expressed surprise and frustration. Lucy, a former employee at the Glasgow branch, said staff were led to believe a refit was coming, only to be told on a conference call that they were made redundant immediately. She cited oversized restaurants, understaffing, and reliance on voucher schemes like Groupon as key issues, attracting bargain hunters rather than loyal customers.
The chain faced harsh reviews, with critic Marina O'Loughlin describing a truffle tagliatelle as 'a honking, salty swamp'. Quality concerns were heightened by a meat recall from supplier Russell Hume, which failed food hygiene compliance. Despite these problems, former manager Jonathan Woodhouse defended Oliver, saying the chef was not at fault.
The casual dining sector has been hit hard, with chains like Strada, Carluccio's, Byron, Cafe Rouge, and Prezzo all struggling. Data firm CGA noted a 30% increase in group restaurants in the UK over five years to March 2019, but rapid expansion driven by private equity may have harmed the dining experience.
