Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has said he is “saddened” after his restaurant group went into administration, with 1,000 jobs being lost. The group, which includes the Jamie’s Italian chain, Barbecoa and Fifteen, has appointed KPMG as administrators. In total, 25 restaurants are affected by the move, 22 of which are from the Jamie’s Italian chain.

Mr Oliver, who put in £4m cash this year, said: “I appreciate how difficult this is for everyone affected.” Following the appointment of administrators, all but three of the group’s 25 eating establishments have closed. Two Jamie’s Italian restaurants and Jamie Oliver’s Diner at Gatwick Airport will continue to trade in the short term.

“The group had recently undertaken a process to secure additional investment into the business and, since the beginning of this year, Jamie Oliver has made available additional funds of £4m to support the fundraising,” said the administrators in a statement. “However, with no suitable investment forthcoming and in light of the very difficult current trading environment, the directors resolved to appoint administrators.”Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Cornwall at Watergate Bay, which operates under a franchise, is unaffected. The international restaurants trading as Jamie’s Italian, Jamie’s Pizzeria and Jamie’s Deli will also continue to trade as normal.(BBC)…[+]