While Lewis Hamilton‘s start to the season with Ferrari has been less than stellar, with only a single sprint victory in Shanghai to his name, his luck outside of Formula 1 has been no better. On Tuesday, it was announced that the vegan chain Neat Burger, in which Hamilton and Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio were early investors, is closing its doors in the United Kingdom.
All Neat Burger locations in the United Kingdom are permanently closing, as reported by the British newspaper The Sun on Tuesday. The vegan burger chain was launched six years ago with the help of Lewis Hamilton. The first branch opened in central London in 2019. At the time, Neat Burger claimed to be the first international plant-based fast food chain. After significant losses in 2023, the UK branches are now definitively closing. Other branches in Milan and New York already closed last year.
Bad Luck On and Off the Track
Reportedly, about 150 jobs will be lost due to the bankruptcy. “We have no further comment at this time,” a spokesperson said. “We can confirm that the company has made the difficult decision to close its UK restaurants.” In addition to Lewis Hamilton, actor Leonardo DiCaprio and footballer Thibaut Courtois were also involved with the burger chain. The intentions of the multiple Formula 1 champion were good: “I believe we need a healthier alternative that not only tastes great but also offers something interesting to those who occasionally want to eat meat-free,” Hamilton commented at the launch of Neat Burger.
While his restaurants are closing, Lewis Hamilton has his hands full with the Ferrari SF-25. The 40-year-old Brit struggled with his car again during the past race weekend in Saudi Arabia. He eventually crossed the finish line in seventh place, conceding more than thirty seconds to teammate Charles Leclerc. So far, he has not finished higher than fifth place, apart from the sprint victory in China.
