Jamie Oliver refutes claims restaurant CEO is ‘an incompetent failure’

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has denied claims that his brother-in-law and CEO is ‘a bully’ and ‘incompetent’.

An article published in The Times, stated that an insider had informed the paper that morale had collapsed since Hunt had been appointed and that he is ‘a bully who is destroying his business empire.’

Mr Hunt, 54, who is married to Oliver’s sister Anna-Marie, and was appointed in 2014 as director of Jamie’s Italian.

Former employees have alleged that Hunt was an ‘incompetent failure’ who ‘knows virtually nothing about restaurants.’

Oliver has hit back as these claims, branding them as ‘nasty’ and untrue’.

The TV chef stated: “There has been some negative press coverage with so-called friends of mine saying nasty, untrue things about Paul Hunt, who is the CEO of my business. First, let me say that the story is nonsense and I absolutely refute the picture they paint of Paul and my business.

“I’ve known Paul for years both as a loyal brother-in-law and loving father as well as a strong and capable CEO who I charged with re-shaping the business.

“He has radically transformed our business for the better it’s now more successful, vibrant ad creative than ever and now we are able to focus on doing the same in out UK restaurant business. I’m incredibly grateful for what’s been achieved in a fairly short time.”