CELEBRITY chef Jamie Oliver's restaurant group has hit the buffers and collapses as it goes into administration, with 1,300 jobs on the line

It includes the Jamie's Italian chain, and Barbecoa in London and Fifteen in London. KPMG have been appointed as administrators.

Mr Oliver took to Twitter to express his sadness, saying he was “devastated” and thanking those who “put their hearts and souls into this business over the years”.

In an official statement, the chef added: “We launched Jamie’s Italian in 2008 with the intention of positively disrupting mid-market dining in the UK high street, with great value and much higher quality ingredients, best-in-class animal welfare standards and an amazing team who shared my passion for great food and service. And we did exactly that.”

The process does not affect Mr Oliver’s other companies, which handle his media and licensing deals, while the international branch of Jamie’s Italian is also unaffected. Fifteen Cornwall, which operates under a franchise, is also not involved.

In 2018 Jamie’s Italian closed 12 of its 37 sites through a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA).

The TV personality’s steak house, Barbecoa, also went into a pre-pack administration, leading to the closure of its Piccadilly branch. Overseas, five branches of the Australian arm of Jamie’s Italian was sold off last year, while another was put into administration.

Despite the troubles, which forced Mr Oliver to put £13 million of his own money into his Italian chain, he told the Press Association earlier this year that casual dining was primed for a comeback.

Suppliers from farms to courier companies must now wait to see if a buyer is found or if they will be paid.