The future of Jamie’s Italian in Australia looks unsteady with the news today that the celebrity chef’s Canberra branch will be shutting its doors. It’s been a tumultuous few years for the Australian arm of Oliver’s empire, which comprises of 27 sites in the UK and a further 53 around the rest of the world.

The Australian side of Jamie’s Italian was recently placed into voluntary admission after its managing group hospitality firm Keystone Group went under. With Canberra closing, the chain’s five remaining branches have been sold by the Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group to the Brisbane-based Hallmark Group. The Queensland company will take over the management of the five Jamie’s Italian restaurants in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Parramatta and Adelaide.

COO of the Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group Australia Ben Shaughnessy says that partnership was a necessary step in maintaining the business Down Under. “Australia has and continues to be one of our best performing international markets and, after a short period of in-house management we are pleased to be partnering with Hallmark,” he says. “The team brings a huge amount of experience and passion for our brand, from collaborating with the key suppliers to our food philosophy, and we look forward to working with them as they develop the Jamie’s Italian restaurant offering across Australia.”

Hallmark Group is excited with the challenge of taking on the chain. “We are thrilled to partner with Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group on the Australian portfolio. We’ll be working closely with Jamie and the UK team, staff and local suppliers to keep driving the business forward and delivering exceptional experiences across the country. Hallmark are actively seeking new suitable locations for the next Jamie’s Italian,” a spokesperson commented.

The Australian developments are following in the footsteps of Great Britain, after Jamie’s Oliver confirmed the closure of nearly half of its UK branches in January as a result of accumulating debts of $130 million. Oliver’s Barbecoa steakhouse chain was also closed, alongside a Jamie Oliver-branded pizza business and cooking school Recipease. It was believed that in an effort to keep the empire afloat, Oliver pumped millions of pounds of his own money into the company.

While the future of Jamie’s Italian may seem a little foggy at present, we’re sure the hundreds of books and TV appearances amassed by the beloved foodie mean we haven’t seen the last of the naked chef just yet.