Hot profits, tart words but spicy liaison is over

Sainsbury's partnership with Jamie Oliver was tested by his controversial campaigns, such as on battery chicken farms, but both say it was a good 11 years. Photo / Supplied

After 11 years, 100 television adverts and a couple of high-profile disagreements, Jamie Oliver and Sainsbury's are to end their mutually beneficial partnership.

The television chef, paid £1.2 million ($2.3 million) for his role as brand ambassador for Sainsbury's, will front his final campaign for the supermarket giant this Christmas.

Oliver said he wanted to spend more time on his social projects through the Jamie Oliver Foundation.

Sainsbury's said that it would announce a replacement in due course.

When Oliver launched the Making Life Taste Better campaign at J. Sainsbury in 2000, the retailer was in decline. Profits slumped by 23 per cent to £580 million.

Oliver leaves a company which has restored its credibility with customers, reporting a 9 per cent profit rise to £665 million in year-to-year figures released in March.

His campaigns include Switch The Fish, which encouraged shoppers to choose alternative species such as hake, coley and megrim.

The relaunch of the upmarket Taste The Difference range, backed by television advertising starring Oliver, helped free-range turkey sales soar by 30 per cent and salmon sales by 16 per cent.

Sainsbury's said its future would be driven mainly by growing its non-food services such as banking and travel exchange bureaux.

With consumer spending still squeezed and the supermarket losing market share to Aldi, Lidl and Waitrose, the company launched a Feed Your Family For £50 a Week campaign for households, placing value over luxury.

Oliver's high profile and public campaigns occasionally caused embarrassment at Sainsbury's HQ, where chief executive Justin King is credited with leading the retailer's resurgence since his arrival in 2004.

In 2008, Oliver criticised Sainsbury's for not turning up for a debate he staged on factory farming, asking "what is there to hide?"

He later said his remarks had been taken out of context.

King criticised Oliver in 2006 when the chef launched an attack on parents for filling children's lunch boxes with high-fat "junk" food.

King said: "Dictating to people - or unleashing an expletive-filled tirade - is not the way to get engagement", and ordered a review of Sainsbury's advertising contracts.

Yesterday, he said: "Jamie's been an excellent ambassador over the past 11 years, spearheading our goal to offer customers fresh and tasty food while maintaining strong ethical standards. In our industry, it's been one of the most successful and mutually rewarding partnerships ever."

Sainsbury's could now try to break up the "all-star" Waitrose advertising partnership of Delia Smith and Heston Blumenthal but it would be expensive. The company could also build the profile of a rising star such as Thomasina Miers, the former Masterchef winner.

Oliver said: "We've achieved some great things. The way they take on challenges, such as their commitment to sourcing higher welfare products, like chicken and eggs, is something to be proud of. I'll miss them but it's a good time to move on."

- Independent