Jamie Oliver ‘cutting jobs’ ahead of restaurant chain’s return
A part of Jamie Oliver’s business empire has cut a firth of its workforce, according to reports, as the celebrity chef plans a return to the high street next year.
Jamie Oliver Group has shed 25 of its 126 employees through a redundancy round, Sky News has reported. CityAM has contacted the group for comment.
In a statement issued to the broadcaster, a spokesperson said “the consultation [process] is complete”.
Jamie Oliver Group looks after the celebrity chef’s media activities, including digital content and third party deals.
The company itself is not connected to a move announced last week which will see Jamie’s Italian relaunched in the UK in 2026.
Jamie Oliver reached a deal with Cain International-backed Brava Hospitality Group, which owns Prezzo.
The chain operated around 40 sites across the UK at its height but started to shutter locations in 2017 as part of a restructuring project.
Two years later, Jamie’s Italian collapsed into administration with the loss of around 1,000 jobs.
In an email to staff at the time, Jamie Oliver blamed “the well-publicised struggles of the casual dining sector and decline of the UK high street, along with soaring business rates”.
It is expected that the first new Jamie’s Italian will open in London’s Leicester Square in the Spring.
Despite the collapse of Jamie’s Italian in 2019, Jamie Oliver still has around 70 restaurants around the world run by franchise partners.
Sales rise at Jamie Oliver Group
In October, CityAM reported that Jamie Oliver and his wife Jools took home £2m less in 2024 as profit slipped at the TV chef’s business empire.
The couple paid themselves a dividend of £500,000 for the year, down from the £2.5m they received for 2023. That figure was significantly lower than the £6.8m they took home in 2022.
A spokesperson for the Jamie Oliver Group said at the time that the £6.8m dividend had been approved after profits rose by 17.5 per cent to £7.7m in 2022.
Accounts filed with Companies House revealed in October that Jamie Oliver Group’s pre-tax profit fell from £3.5m to £3.1m in 2024 while its turnover increased from £27m to £28.5m.
The business includes all of Jamie Oliver’s media interests such as TV and digital production, book publishing, endorsements and royalty streams.
From royalties, endorsements and licensing, the group’s turnover fell from £18.3m to £17.6m in 2024. Its income from production also declined from £3.7m to £2.1m.
However, its turnover from owned and operated restaurants surged from £335,983 to £3.6m.
Its cookery school income rose from £986,433 to £1m while franchise turnover went from £3.6m to £3.7m.