Harden’s co-founder Peter Harden was a key contributor to a Radio 4 programme broadcast last weekend that examined the failure of Jamie Oliver’s restaurant chain Jamie’s Italian. Quoting from the annual Harden’s surveys, Peter said that the apparently successful group was failing to deliver the goods several years before it went bust. The first Jamie’s […]
Jamie Oliver has confirmed that his new Covent Garden restaurant will open in November under the name ‘Jamie Oliver at Catherine Street’. The launch marks the TV chef and writer’s return to the British restaurant scene after the collapse of his mini-empire four years ago – amid heavy hints that other openings will follow. The […]
Jeremy King has made a surprise return to the hospitality scene – as part of Jamie Oliver’s relaunched UK business. Considered by many the doyen of London restaurateurs as founder of the Wolseley and other top-drawer establishments, Jeremy was ousted from his Corbin & King group last year after a bitter struggle with Thai-based majority investor […]
Jamie Oliver is preparing for a return to the British restaurant scene – four years after the collapse of his UK business saw the closure of 25 restaurants with 1,000 jobs lost and debts of £83million. His first new venue is scheduled to open this autumn in Covent Garden as part of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s revamped […]
The Irish restaurant group Coqbull is reportedly opening in the former Jamie’s Italian site near Piccadilly Circus. CDG Leisure, which acted on the deal, said on Instagram the restaurant will offer “burgers, chicken wings, pizzas” and more when it opens in November, The Caterer said. Coqbull was founded in Cork in 2013 and went on […]
Dishoom is to take on a major refurbishment project at its Covent Garden site, which will include expanding into a former Jamie’s Italian next door. The original Dishoom, which opened in 2010, has provided the basis for a now burgeoning group of seven, with branches in London, Manchester, and Edinburgh. The group’s Upper St Martin’s […]
Martin Williams, CEO of Gaucho and M Restaurants, has offered former employees of Jamie’s Italian the opportunity to interview for roles at his group. All but three Jamie’s Italian branches were closed under a CVA earlier this month, with the remainder bought by the SSP Group, which owns Upper Crust, among other train station lunch […]
The Restaurant Group (TRG), which owns chains such as Frankie & Benny’s, Garfunkel’s, and Chiquito (all of which have always been omitted from Harden’s as they inspire practically no survey feedback from our community) has bought pan-Asian restaurant Wagamama in a deal worth £559m. The industry giant said Wagamama has until now “consistently and significantly outperformed […]
In his first interview after his well-publicised difficulties with Jamie’s Italian, Jamie Oliver gave access to the FT this week to present his case about what went wrong at the troubled group. His most gripping revelations surround the day he suddenly learnt that he was going to have to write a personal cheque for £7.5m […]
Jamie Oliver is closing his last Union Jacks restaurant, in Covent Garden plaza, bringing an end to the his flatbreads-and-British-comfort-food hybrid after five years. The announcement follows the closure in January of six branches of the celebrity chef’s under-performing Jamie’s Italian chain. The other three Union Jacks branches closed in January 2014. A company spokesman said: […]
