Jamie Oliver Is Closing 6 Restaurants; Blames Brexit

Celebrity chef and nutritional advocate Jamie Oliver announced that he would be closing six of his Jamie's Italian restaurants across the United Kingdom, citing competition issues after his home country voted to leave the European Union.

"As every restaurant owner knows, this is a tough market and post-Brexit the pressures and unknowns have made it even harder," Simon Blagden, chief executive of the Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group, said in a statement. "These closures are in no way a reflection on the dedication and commitment of our staff and my first priority is to try and secure those affected alternative jobs."

The team will be working on finding alternative jobs for the approximately 120 displaced employees from the six closed restaurants.

Others in the industry have fought back against Oliver's supposed struggles.

"It is still early days but we can't blame Brexit for the restaurant business," a specialist in Italian cuisine told Sky News. "Maybe the chain has got too big, the restaurant business is great when it is small, when it is controlled."