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A Melbourne restaurant that counts celebrity chef Jamie Oliver among its clientele has entered into voluntary administration.
1800 Lasagne, a popular restaurant in the suburb of Thornbury, has confirmed that it has been taken over by external administrators, effective from the new financial year.
The sad news about the restaurant was shared in a heartfelt message to its Instagram account on August 5.
‘1800 Lasagne has entered into voluntary administration and we are working closely with the administration team to streamline and re-structure our model to ensure we take the best steps while moving forward,’ the update read.
‘Our loyal suppliers and our beloved staff are and will continue to be our highest priority through this process.’
The restaurant was originally started as a lasagne-delivery service during the pandemic by founder, Joey Kellock. It was later opened as a restaurant in its current location on High Street.
During its heyday in 2023, celebrity chef Jamie Oliver was among those who visited the Melbourne Italian dining establishment.
The British celebrity chef, who was at the time filming the 16th season of MasterChef Australia, was full of praise for the lasagne eatery.
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver dropped by 1800 Lasagne in 2023 with foodie pals Tobie Puttock (not pictured) and Georgie Puttock (right) and posed for a picture with the restaurant’s founderJoey Kellock (back)
Although it was announced on Instagram that 1800 Lasagne had ‘entered into voluntary administration’, a subsequent Instagram post alongside this picture confirmed that the Melbourne restaurant would remain operating as usual
Jamie described it as a place where the ‘jazz was playing, the wine was flowing’ and noted that there was a ‘nice energy with the staff’.
That same year, 1800 Lasagne earned a coveted chef’s hat in the Good Food guide – becoming the first ever ‘hatted’ lasagne restaurant.
But in a promising sign for diners, the restaurant isn’t currently being closed altogether.
Rather, its operations will now fall under the management of accounting advisory group HLB Mann Judd, who were appointed as external administrators as of July 30.
The restaurant’s trading hours and delivery service also remain unchanged.
‘1800 Lasagne has always been about people, passion and plates of love – and that hasn’t changed,’ the recent update confirmed.
‘We absolutely cherish our place in the community and will be striving to continue serving you. So, please come and visit our incredible staff for dinner, takeaway, or a drink at the bar and help us get through this exciting but challenging time.’
In an added assurance that it’s ‘business as usual’ from the customer’s perspective, a subsequent Instagram post confirmed the restaurant was open and operating.
1800 Lasagne’s tight menu centres around lasagne including their signature dishLasagne Di Carne $32 (pictured)
The popular Melbourne restaurant is located on High Street in the Melbourne suburb of Thornbury
Sharing a picture of a dining table loaded up with plates of lasagne and garlic bread, the caption confirmed that they were indeed open for bookings, walk-ins, takeaway and delivery.
1800 Lasagne is famed for its focused menu centred around lasagne.
Their two signature dishes are the Lasagne Di Carne, which features a meaty bolognaise of minced beef and pork, and a vegetarian Lasagne Di Melanzane, based on eggplant. Both are priced at $32.
Other main pasta dishes on the menuinclude Spaghetti Napoli $25, Rigatoni $36, which is served with a beef shank ragu, and Pipe Rigate, $35, which features Queensland Tiger prawns.
