Jamie’s Italian Manchester building snapped up by The Hut Group

The stunning Manchester building which formerly housed Jamie’s Italian has been swiftly snapped up – by north west retail giant The Hut Group.

Fresh from acquiring the King Street Townhouse Hotel just around the corner, The Hut Group (THG) has now revealed it has bought 100 King Street, the splendid Art Deco building formerly used by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver for his Italian restaurant which closed last month.

THG’s founder and chief executive Matthew Moulding revealed the acquisition on his Instagram account, and spoke of his excitement at the potential of the incredible building.

He said: “We’ve managed to build on our recent £50m investment in @eclectic_hotels in Manchester, with the addition of the historic 100 King Street (previously Jamie’s Italian).  Really excited by the potential of this building – known in the area as the King of King Street due to its imposing presence and special architecture.

“The vaults in the basement are spectacular!! Hope that this space can be a special events venue to showcase both our own brands and those of our key brand partners.

“Looking forward to bringing the building alive and hosting influencers and brand ambassadors from across the globe.”

THG is now one of the world’s leading online beauty and well-being retailers, with brands including Look Fantastic and My Protein, as well as owning the luxury Hale Country Club and Spa.  It has huge offices at a recently-opened business hub at Manchester Airport.

The acquisition of 100 King Street forms part of THG’s increasing move to investment in retail and leisure spaces.

In a statement on THG’s social media accounts, the company said: “Our increasing investment in premium retail space forms part of our growing marketing infrastructure, where we can provide a new and innovative environment for customers and influencers to discover and fully experience our prestigious brands.”

We’ve just acquired prime space in one of Manchester’s most iconic historic buildings.

100 King Street will be transformed into a ‘World of THG’ contemporary retail and marketing experience, designed to showcase our leading Health & Beauty brands. pic.twitter.com/L5yaqroHJG

— The Hut Group (@thehutgroup) June 27, 2019

Jamie’s Italian on King Street closed its doors when his entire restaurant chain collapsed into administration in May.

An official quote from Jamie Oliver said at the time he appreciates “how difficult this is for everyone affected” and that he “would also like to thank all the customers who have enjoyed and supported us over the last decade, it’s been a real pleasure serving you.

“We launched Jamie’s Italian in 2008 with the intention of positively disrupting mid-market dining in the UK High Street, with great value and much higher quality ingredients, best-in-class animal welfare standards and an amazing team who shared my passion for great food and service.

“And we did exactly that.”

The Art Deco building, at the top of King Street and Spring Gardens, was formerly a bank and designed by acclaimed architect Edwin Lutyens in 1928.

While 100 King Street was formerly occupied by Jamie’s Italian, the other half is owned by Hotel Gotham which is spread over the top six floors of the building.