Jamie Oliver is fascinating. Celebrated as a culinary prodigy, sonny boy and pop star of the cooking scene, the former high-flyer in his home country of Great Britain has experienced a downturn in recent years that has been washed away. After his gastronomic empire collapsed, he became the target of the British tabloid – and “Everybody’s Darling” was declared persona non grata. But instead of withdrawing from the public eye and resting on the laurels of his great years, Oliver defies ridicule and malice and blossoms into an unparalleled stand-up man. Oliver’s latest project? Conquer Berlin. He wants to start a new restaurant in the capital.
For a long time, Oliver only knew one direction: up. TV shows, cookbooks, restaurants – everything he touched turned to gold. He seemed to have used up this luck by 2018 at the latest. His restaurant chain “Jamie’s Italian” was doing so badly that even millions in subsidies from private assets could no longer prevent its collapse. Shortly afterwards, the bars “Fifteen” and “Barbecoa” also had to close. The bottom line is that more than 1,000 employees lost their jobs. The critics in Great Britain were certain: Oliver’s shine has faded, his fame has evaporated. The fans, however, loyally supported him – the Germans among them are now being rewarded for their loyalty.
The gates to Oliver’s newest gastro baby, the fourth “Jamie Oliver Kitchen” in the world, will soon open in Berlin-Mitte. This is reported by several media outlets. The other branches can be found in Cyprus, Bali and the Brazilian capital Brasilia. The concept is the same in all restaurants in the chain. A smorgasbord of dishes from all over the world is on offer. The first details about the Berlin menu have already been revealed. A food mix that includes, among other things, classic Italian, i.e. Oliver-typical dishes, but also Asian, American and German classics.
“The concept of the restaurant is as diverse as the city and its people themselves, which is why we are even more pleased to bring Jamie Oliver Kitchen to Berlin’s thriving food scene,” says Mirko Alexander Nikolitsch, Managing Director of the “BMB Group”. “Berlin Live” is Oliver’s franchise partner. The pizza is of course not missing, but, to put it mildly, it is more of a connoisseur’s item In any case, Jamie Oliver himself claims that it is one of his best menus. Well then, beef fillet with ginger ponzu and chipotle and tamarind squid are also on the menu.
The Berlin “Jamie Oliver Kitchen” is scheduled to open next week, but when exactly has not yet been revealed. There will then be room for up to 100 people. According to a report in the “Berliner Morgenpost”, Alessandro Antonelli will be responsible, who will take over the position of head chef. It remains to be seen how well-disposed Berliners are to the television chef. It probably won’t be an easy game. The Brit wants to get started on Friedrichstrasse of all places. It has recently made a name for itself with news that doesn’t give much economic hope. A number of shops have already given up the location. In the coming months, the lights will also go out in another of the street’s “lighthouses” when Galeries Lafayette closes permanently.
Sources: “Berliner Morgenpost”, Berlin Live, “Berliner Zeitung”
