Gino D’Acampo’s restaurants have been saved from the brink of closure after ongoing struggles with mounting debt.
The financial problems come amid allegations that the 48-year-old behaved inappropriately towards women on the sets of his cooking shows, claims that the TV personality has vehemently denied.
D’Acampo, whose pasta bar chain went into liquidation in 2022, has five remaining restaurants in cities across the UK including Liverpool, Manchester, London, Newcastle, and Leeds.
Upmarket Leisure Ltd, who own the restaurants, have accrued spiralling arrears, and a deal to sell the company fell through earlier this year. HMRC issued a petition to close the company at the High Court in March and an application to appoint an administrator was made on Tuesday (29 April), according to The Sun.
However, the company has now been bought out of administration in a £5m deal, which will save the jobs of over 400 employees across the five venues.
“This very well-recognised group of restaurants will be able to continue, under their existing brand, and has the opportunity to thrive again,” said Dean Watson, an administrator at Begbies Traynor.
Restaurant staff have reported delays in being paid their wages, with Upmarket issuing an apology and blaming the wait on problems with pay roll due and administrative banking issues.
“A lot of people are very angry and a few have resigned. Every day we’re told we’ll be paid tomorrow,” one employee told the publication.
However, a spokesperson for Upmarket Ltd confirmed to The Independent that all employees had received payment upon completion of the deal on 30 April, with employee benefits and salaries protected.
Earlier this year, ITV News reported that dozens of former staff and freelancers detailed “unacceptable”, “distressing” and “horrendous” experiences while working with D’Acampo over a period of more than 12 years. The network said it had no plans to hire D’Acampo again.
Last month the chef shared news of his television comeback, weeks after the fallout that led to his shows being axed. Taking to Instagram last month, D’Acampo unveiled his return to TV, sharing a photo of him dressed as a car mechanic in overalls with dirt on his face.
“What a fantastic experience in Ireland working on a new series,” he wrote alongside the behind-the-scenes images. “I can’t wait for you guys to see it… PS Happy St Patrick’s Day.”
