Remember November for Jamie Oliver

He’s changed the way children eat in British schools and campaigned to get Americans eating properly – and now Jamie Oliver will bring his wholesome food to the UAE with his first international restaurant.

The move follows such top chefs as Pierre Gagnaire, Gordon Ramsay, Giorgio Locatelli and Gary Rhodes, many of whom have been running restaurants in the UAE for several years now.

The new Jamie’s Italian restaurant is set to open late in November 2010 and will be sited at Dubai Festival City. The three-level venue will seat 290 people and features a pasta bar – where fresh pasta will be made every day while the main dining area will comprise the antipasti and dessert counters.

The chef’s love affair with Italian food has been well documented. “I should have been Italian,” he has said. “There is such a diversity of lifestyles, cooking, traditions and dialects. This is why as a chef I find this country so exciting and what has inspired me to create Jamie’s Italian.”

The brand was conceived in an attempt to recreate the fantastic, rustic dishes that Italians are so proud of, using recipes that have been tried and tested. It is now a major British catering success story, with 15 outlets across the UK.

Oliver turned his attention to international markets last year, when it was reported that he and partner Tranic Ltd were seeking $22 million over 2009 and 2010 from private investors to help fund 30 Italian restaurants across Southeast Asia.

The menu in Dubai will feature a variety of pastas, authentic Italian mains and delicious snacks made with well-sourced, quality ingredients. Every dish has something to make it different offering gourmets and fans an unrivalled experience coupled with a rustic, authentic Italian ambience.

Philip Evans, Director of Commercial & Retail Leasing at Al Futtaim Group Real Estate said the Dubai restaurant at Festival Centre’s Marina Pavilion gives visitors “the opportunity to experience genuine Italian food in sleek and relaxing waterfront surrounds.”

Simon Blagden, Managing Director, Jamie’s Italian International added: “Jamie’s Italian has been a huge hit with people everywhere we’ve opened.  Our beautiful, affordable, delicious food and great service have made us the envy of the high street so it’s very exciting to be able to open in Dubai and bring our concept to the people of the UAE.”

It is being brought to the UAE by Jawad Business Group, the master franchisee for the GCC. Faisal Jawad, chairman of the group said the attempt was part of a strategic expansion initiative to develop many restaurants over the next several years in the region.

Jamie Oliver was brought up in Clavering, Essex, England, where his parents ran a pub, The Cricketers, and used to practice in the kitchen. He was educated at Newport Free Grammar School. He left school at 16 without any qualifications to attend Westminster Catering College.

His first job was as a pastry chef at Antonio Carluccio's Neal Yard restaurant, where he first gained experience of Italian cuisine. Oliver then moved to The River Café, Fulham, as a sous chef, where he was noticed by the BBC in 1999 when his show “The Naked Chef” debuted and his cookbook became a number one best-seller in the UK. That same year, Oliver was invited to prepare lunch for Prime Minister Tony Blair at No. 10 Downing Street.

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