Troubled times for high-street dining to blame says company after the celebrity chef forced to bail out his brand
Jamie Oliver’s business empire slumped to a loss of nearly £20m last year, dragged down by a grim year at his restaurant chain which was forced to close a dozen outlets in February.
The company said it had suffered from the “ongoing challenges of the casual dining sector”, which has resulted in a series of well-known restaurant chains, including Carluccio’s and Byron, closing outlets after over-enthusiastic expansion followed by significant increases in costs, particularly rent and labour.
The fall into the red highlights a difficult year for the celebrity chef, who also had to close one of his two flagship Barbecoa restaurants in London.
