Heston Blumenthal staff worry restaurant empire could ‘do a Jamie Oliver’ as £2million losses emerge
HESTON Blumenthal’s restaurant empire has been rocked by £2million losses — as workers worry that it could “do a Jamie Oliver”.
Chef Heston, 53, who is famed for bacon-and-egg ice cream and snail porridge, has been hit by a fall in demand for his dishes.
His UK business — which includes his flagship Fat Duck in Bray, Berks — lost £1.7million last year and £700,000 in 2017, making a total of £2.4m.
His Australian restaurant — Dinner by Heston in Melbourne — lost nearly £300,000 in 2018, latest accounts show.
The slump emerged weeks after the Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group went into administration, costing 1,000 jobs.
Workers at the Fat Duck fear they may be next to go.
But Heston’s company spokesman insisted “there is absolutely no truth” in the rumours, adding: “There is no reason to do so. The accounts of the company provide
a historic view only.”
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Last year’s losses for SL6, the umbrella group for Heston’s Michelin-starred restaurant, gastro pub The Hind’s Head, TV appearances and other interests, included £500,000 on a doomed venture.
Cash reserves prop up the company, £20,000 in the red. But the Aussie restaurant, managed by off-shore Tipsy Cake PTY Ltd, is more than £1million in the red.
An industry insider said: “Life is hard for everyone.”
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