Jamie Oliver to launch chain of low-cost Italian restaurants
After teaching the unemployed to be cordon bleu chefs and starting a revolution in school canteens, Jamie Oliver is now opening his own chain of low-cost pasta restaurants.
With dishes as cheap as £5, the celebrity chef wants to take on the large Italian restaurant chains that dominate the high street.
He believes few of them serve good food at a reasonable price.
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Jamie Oliver is now launching his own chain of low-cost Italian restaurants with pasta dishes costing as little as £5
The first of his unnamed "neighbourhood restaurants" will open in Bath next year, with others earmarked for Cambridge and Brighton.
Oliver said all the pasta and bread will be made at the restaurants and all chicken will be free range.
He added: "It's always been a desire of mine to really tackle the issue of the quality of high street dining.
"There are some little places, privately owned by dedicated people, who are doing a good job.
"But they're few and far between and I don't think many of the chains give consistent quality at a decent price. We aim to change all that.
"I wanted to create a local restaurant that is classy, reliable and inspired by what people want --good food, well-prepared, sometimes speedy, sometimes relaxed."
After finding fame on TV, Oliver, 32, rewrote the recipe book for school meals with his show Jamie's School Dinners, which led to a £477million overhaul of school food.
His show Jamie's Kitchen also started the Fifteen chain of restaurants, in which unemployed people are trained to become chefs.
