JAMIE OLIVER IS set to close six of his 42 Italian restaurants in the UK.

Outlets in Aberdeen, Cheltenham, Exeter, Tunbridge Wells, and in Ludgate and Richmond in London are all scheduled to close in the first three months of this year.

Chief executive Simon Blagden told the Guardian: “As every restaurant owner knows, this is a tough market and, post-Brexit, the pressures and unknowns have made it even harder.”

“Because we refuse to compromise on the quality and provenance of our ingredients and our commitment to training and developing our staff, we need restaurants that can serve an average of 3,000 covers every week to be sustainable.”

The company said it will try to move the 120 employees affected to other outlets.

Blagden said the six restaurants account for less than 5% of the chain’s total turnover, and the chain is performing well overall internationally.

Oliver plans to open a further 22 Italian restaurants outside the UK this year, including in Australia and Brazil.

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