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Get your free copy15 July 2011, 17:19 PM
- Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has quit as the face of Sainsbury's after 11 years and over 100 television adverts
The partnership, which has seen the chef boost sales of products such as nutmeg and salmon fillets, will come to an end with the supermarket’s 2011 Christmas campaign. Sainsbury’s says the decision is mutual, and Mr Oliver is understood to be keen to spend more time on his social projects through The Jamie Oliver Foundation both in the UK and abroad
The chef is said to have earned over £10 million from the deal, and sales of the products he has championed have often increased by hundreds of percent. For example the ‘Feed Your Family For A Fiver’ promotion, launched in March 2008, has been one of Sainsbury’s most successful Jamie-fronted campaigns seeing sales uplifts of anything from 10% to 200% on featured lines.
“Jamie has been an excellent ambassador for the Sainsbury’s brand over the last 11 years, spearheading our goal to offer our customers fresh and tasty food, whilst maintaining strong ethical standards. In our industry, it has been one of the most successful and mutually rewarding partnerships ever,” said Justin King, Sainsbury’s CEO.
“It’s been a fantastic 11 years and together we have achieved some great things,” said Jamie Oliver. “The way they take on challenges – like their commitment to sourcing higher welfare products, such as chicken and eggs – is something to be proud of. I’ll miss them but it’s a good time to move on,” he adds.
