Jamie Oliver saves Essex airfield that trained him

Jamie Oliver has stepped in to save the airfield and flying school where he trained to be a pilot.

The owners at Andrewsfield Aviation, near Braintree in Essex, said they were preparing to close operations because there was no successor lined up after they retired.

But the TV chef, who achieved his pilot licence in July, helped arrange new ownership to ensure the hangar doors remained open.

“Andrewsfield is a special place with so much potential,” said Oliver, who is from Essex.

“It has an extraordinary history and is full of wonderful people with an exemplary training environment that has changed my life for the better.”

Carol Cooper and Michael Rowland, the directors of Andrewsfield Aviation Ltd, had said that without a “suitable succession plan, the only realistic option may have been to close” the company.

The airfield was used by the RAF and United States Air Force during World War Two.

Oliver helped arrange new ownership by bringing in Marc Naylor, also known as Blondie, as the major shareholder and day-to-day operator.

Oliver praised Naylor’s “infectious energy and aviation experience”, having spent a decade with the air ambulance in Devon.