Jamie Oliver and his wife, Jools, have paid themselves £6,8m in dividends, up from £5.6m the previous year, as a result of a rise in television and restaurant earnings.
The celebrity chef, whose restaurant empire in the United Kingdom collapsed in 2019 with the loss of 1,000 jobs, has 70 restaurants around the world operated by franchise partners and has sold 2 million books based on the television series Jamie’s One-Pan Wonders from the previous year.
In the year ending 31 December 2022, the group’s sales increased by 8.1% to £29.7m and its pre-tax profits rose by 17.5% to £7.7m as it opened 13 new franchise restaurants overseas under several brands, including Jamie’s Italian, Jamie’s Deli, and Jamie Oliver Kitchen. The chef’s cuisine school in London experienced a 35% increase in sales.
Production and franchise income increased by twofold, offsetting a minor decline in sales and profits from licensing Oliver’s name for use on pans and pasta sauces.
The chef, who also benefited from a deal to promote the supermarket chain Tesco, has announced plans to establish his first independently operated restaurant in the United Kingdom since closing 22 Jamie’s Italian locations, the Fifteen and Barbecoa restaurants in London, and a Jamie’s Diner at Gatwick airport in 2019. Currently, Oliver’s only UK location is a franchise partner-run deli in Aberdeen.
Jamie Oliver Catherine Street is scheduled to open in November in Covent Garden, central London.
A year ago, Kevin Styles, a former executive of the Vue cinema chain and the specialty retailer American Golf, was appointed CEO of Oliver’s business empire.
Styles stated on Wednesday, “The Jamie Oliver brand continues to resound with audiences worldwide. The results for 2022 demonstrate that we have the foundations in place to continue to evolve our business, putting customers first and meeting their mealtime requirements across a variety of relevant media and product solutions, as well as restaurant and cooking experiences.”
He stated that the group sought to create a more integrated food business using digital technology to connect Oliver’s media interests, restaurants, licensed products, and better food campaigns.
Oliver stated in 2019 that he desired to transform the remainder of his business enterprise into a certified ethical “B corporation” that gives equal weight to people, the environment, and profit.
Styles stated, “Our objective is to maximize the commercial and social impact of our brand. With a more connected and detail-oriented strategy, we intend to enter new markets, and activate and scale global propositions and partnerships with local insight.
