Jamie Oliver’s Jamie’s Italian relaunch draws mixed reactions from creditors six years after collapse

Jamie Oliver has announced a relaunch of his Jamie’s Italian restaurant chain six years after its £83 million collapse, a move that creditors say leaves them with losses and questions about how the administration was handled. The relaunch, backed by the Brava Hospitality Group, will begin with a flagship restaurant in Leicester Square, London, before expanding across the country as Oliver seeks to resurrect a brand that once topped the casual-dining scene.

Jamie’s Italian peaked with about 40 outlets before a contraction began in 2017, and the business entered administration in 2019 after years of rising costs and tighter consumer spending. In 2022 liquidators reported that unsecured creditors received 2.47 pence in the pound on claims totaling about £21 million, with roughly £520,000 paid. Secured creditors, including HSBC, were owed £39.4 million, and Oliver’s own company was owed about £18 million. The Government’s Redundancy Payments Service stepped in to cover staff redundancies, with workers receiving nothing from the liquidation. The episode left 25 UK restaurants closed and about 1,000 jobs lost, underscoring the sector’s troubled trajectory over the past decade.

Two creditors who were left out of pocket spoke with frustration, signaling the mixed reception the relaunch has received in the business community. Lee Wilmot, who runs Rational Technical Services in Bedford and worked on servicing Jamie’s Italian ovens and other kitchen equipment, said the relaunch leaves a “sour taste in the mouth” because he believes business should be conducted as ethically as possible. He said he received a cheque for about £175 on a debt believed to be in the £5,000–£6,000 range and warned that small suppliers often bear the brunt when a company fails. “When I see him on adverts, I switch the channel over,” Wilmot added. “It leaves a sour taste in the mouth because I believe business has to be done as ethically as possible. Small businesses do tend to suffer more, and everyone suffers when companies go into administration. But it is the smaller companies that find it harder to accept the debt write-off.”

Kenneth Naidu-Johnson, who operates Unique Cleaning Systems in nearby Bicester, echoed a similar sentiment from the supplier side, saying he was left “thousands of pounds” out of pocket and that trust was broken after the liquidation. “My wife likes watching his TV programmes. I can’t even go in the room,” he said. “No one had any idea that he was just going to liquidate. And me being naive—I had only had the business for five years at that point—I completely trusted Jamie.”

On the other side of the ledger, Liberty Wines, which was owed £123,000, said Oliver and his company acted professionally during the collapse and that it was treated fairly by the process. A spokesman for Jamie Oliver was contacted for comment, but no further detail was provided.

The relaunch, with Brava Hospitality Group’s backing, will start with a Leicester Square opening before a wider rollout. Oliver has characterized the move as timing-driven, saying it is the “perfect time” to give consumers “surprise and delight.” He has cited the well-publicised struggles of the casual-dining sector and rising business costs as factors in the earlier collapse, while emphasizing a fresh approach and renewed investment in the brand.

The revival of Jamie’s Italian comes as the broader casual-dining market continues to wrestle with high operating costs, inflation, and shifting consumer preferences. Analysts note that a successful relaunch will depend on securing supplier terms, delivering a distinctive guest experience, and managing expansion in a competitive space where consumer loyalty is hard-won. The return of a recognizable name could draw curious diners and media attention, but creditors’ experiences during the collapse will likely shape expectations for how aggressively the chain expands and how financial risk is managed in the wake of the 2019 administration.

While some creditors question the ethics of the liquidation and the distribution of debts, others point to the potential benefits of a brand revival that could create jobs and reinvigorate a legacy brand in a market that remains unforgiving to missteps. The Brava-backed relaunch will be watched closely by suppliers, lenders, and industry observers who will be measuring not only the initial reception but also the long-term viability of a branded Italian-dining concept in a modern, price-conscious dining landscape.

As the first Leicester Square location readies its doors, the market will determine whether Jamie’s Italian can carve out a fresh niche without re-creating the same risk profile that ended the original venture. In the near term, the focus will be on execution, supplier relationships, and visitor demand in a competitive environment that shows few signs of easing. The outcome for the creditors who sustained losses in 2019 remains uncertain, but the relaunch underscores a broader industry trend: brands with history still seek ways to re-enter crowded markets, with mixed implications for stakeholders across the supply chain.