Jamie Oliver quits Sainsbury’s for Morrisons

In a move that will prove embarrassing for Sainsbury’s as the supermarket prepares to air its final TV campaign featuring the Essex-born celebrity chef next week, Bradford-based Morrisons has signed up Oliver to launch their £39.99 Christmas turkey kit.

Oliver’s £2m a year partnership with Sainsbury’s is due to end after the festive TV adverts are aired.

Morrisons said that no further tie-ups with the TV chef have been signed as yet.

Oliver was keen to get on board with Morrisons as both have worked with free range turkey farmer Paul Kelly in the past. All the meat will come from slow-growing turkeys provided by Kelly Bronze, Mr Kelly’s company.

Morrisons will exclusively stock the Jamie Oliver “turkey box”, which will go on sale the week before Christmas.

The turkey, which feeds 10, comes in a Jamie Oliver branded box and contains a large breast joint stuffed with apricots, cinnamon stuffing and pancetta and a leg joint stuffed with cranberry and clove stuffing, turkey stock, cooking instructions, a signature thermometer and carving tips.

Andrew Smith, head of meat trading at Morrisons, said: “We think it’s a brilliant way to take a bit of pressure out the Christmas kitchen.”