British celebrity TV chef Jamie Oliver on Tuesday said that his restaurant group employing 1,300 staff had collapsed.

Oliver expressed deep sadness at the move that comes amid fierce competition.

"I am deeply saddened by this outcome and would like to thank all of the staff and our suppliers who have put their hearts and souls into this business for over a decade," Oliver said in a statement.

"I appreciate how difficult this is for everyone affected," he added.

Oliver's group has officially fallen into administration - the process whereby a troubled company calls in outside expertise to try and minimise job losses.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.