A prominent St Albans restaurant has now confirmed it will be closing, after initially denying the rumours.

Last week Jamie’s Italian dismissed claims it was planning to close 12 branches around Britain after a year of financial losses, including The Maltings branch.

But it has now confirmed the St Albans restaurant, which opened in 2010, will definitely be closing.

CEO of the Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group, Jon Knight, said: “This was a not an easy decision but it’s a crucial step to ensure our strong and much-loved brand can continue to serve our loyal customers.

“We will look to redeploy as many staff as possible within the wider restaurant group. All staff impacted will be paid fully and all our obligations to them fulfilled. We’re incredibly grateful to the dedication and hard work of every single member of staff.”

A spokesperson said: “The Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group has confirmed it is proposing to close 12 UK branches.

“It follows a strategic review to ensure the business is in good shape for the future. The remaining 25 sites in the UK will be unaffected by this decision and will continue to trade normally.”

She stressed the reshuffle will not affect Jamie’s Italian internationally, The Jamie Oliver Media Group, or the Jamie Oliver Licensing Group, which are managed and run separately.

Other affected eateries are in Bath, Bristol, Bluewater, Chelmsford, Greenwich, Harrogate, Kingston-upon-Thames, Milton Keynes, Piccadilly Diner, Reading, and Threadneedle Street in London.

What do you think? Get in contact at hertsad@archant.co.uk