Jamie Oliver’s Gatwick outlets saved from closure

The joint administrators of Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group Limited, Will Wright and Mark Orton from KPMG, announced that they have reached an agreement with SSP Group to take over the operations of the three Jamie Oliver eateries which continue to trade at Gatwick Airport.

SSP Group, an operator of food and beverage outlets in travel locations worldwide, is an existing partner of the Jamie Oliver Group, and currently operates 12 Jamie Oliver restaurants in Austria, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Norway and Spain.

All 250 members of staff who work across the Jamie Oliver’s Diner, Jamie’s Italian and Jamie’s Coffee Lounge at Gatwick Airport, will transfer to SSP as part of the agreement.

In May, the celebrity chef announced that his restaurant business – which included the brands Jamie’s Italian, Barbecoa and Fifteen – had gone into administration. Over 1,000 jobs were lost as 22 sites were shuttered.

Will Wright, partner at KPMG and joint administrator, said: “We are pleased to have reached this agreement with SSP Group, which will see the three Jamie Oliver outlets at Gatwick Airport continue to trade, safeguarding a significant number of jobs.”

Simon Smith, CEO of SSP Group, added: “We’re delighted to be expanding our partnership with Jamie Oliver, especially as we already operate 12 Jamie Oliver units in Austria, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Norway and Spain, and have further units planned in Brazil and Bahrain. Jamie’s cafes and restaurants are much loved by customers all around the world, so we’re very excited to be adding the brand to our UK portfolio and increasing our presence at Gatwick Airport.”