Photo: Getty ImagesBritish celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's restaurant chain has gone into administration, leaving 1000 people without jobs as the majority of branches stopped trading immediately in the latest blow for Britain's high street. Oliver, a well-known figure in Britain and beyond for his popular TV shows and top-selling cookery books, founded his Jamie's Italian brand of high street restaurants in 2008. There will be about 1000 redundancies as 22 of 25 branches closed immediately, administrators KPMG said on Tuesday, with Gatwick Airport's two Jamie's Italian branches and Jamie Oliver's Diner staying open in the short-term. "I really, really enjoy serving people, but it's a strange time at the moment, and all the casual dining and high street restaurants are in decline." Fifteen Cornwall, operated under a franchise, is not affected, as is Jamie Oliver's international restaurant franchise business.

Source: Otago Daily Times May 21, 2019 19:30 UTC