End of the road for Jamie's Union Jacks
The concept launched in 2011 as a partnership between Oliver and Arizonan pizza expert Chris Bianco.
The restaurant opened with a focus on British-inspired flatbreads which - following a degree of confusion - were later rebranded flatbread pizzas. The rest of the menu has a retro feel, with dishes including fish and chips and mushy peas; bangers and mash; and sticky toffee pudding.
The concept grew to a total of four sites - including sites in London and one in Winchester - but all but the Covent Garden Piazza site have closed or been converted to the celebrity chef and campaigner's other restaurant formats.
Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group chief executive Simon Blagden says that the site has made a highly positive contribution to the group's profitability over the years but that the format is no longer considered core to the business and that a good offer has been received from an undisclosed party for the remainder of the lease.
"There are only a few years left on the lease. It was a highly profitable restaurant for us but we've taken a decision to move on and invest that money into our other restaurant projects," he says
Late last month the company opened a second Barbecoa restaurant on London's Piccadilly and a third is expected to open in Victoria's new Nova Development later this year.
22 Jamie's Italian restaurants are to open internationally this year, but expansion for the Jamie's Italian brand on these shores will be far more measured following the closure of six restaurants late last year.
