Jamie Oliver restaurant to create 100 new jobs (From York Press)
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Jamie Oliver restaurant to create 100 new jobs
9:35am Monday 13th February 2012 in News
By Mark Stead, mark.stead@thepress.co.uk
Jamie Oliver: ‘York is a beautiful city’
ABOUT 100 new jobs are to be created in York when a restaurant owned by top TV chef Jamie Oliver opens later this year.
The Jamie’s Italian branch will be next to Guildhall, over two floors in an unused part of the building that houses the Lendal Cellars pub. The pub will remain as part of the development.
Construction work is currently taking place on the Grade II-listed building and the restaurant is scheduled to open in July.
Jamie’s Italian Ltd has now begun the search for chefs and front-of-house staff ahead of its unveiling, and hopes to create 100 posts.
Oliver, who made his name on his show The Naked Chef and as a campaigner for healthier school dinners, said he had been looking to open a branch in York for some time.
He said: “York is such a beautiful city – I used to go there on holiday as a kid and I’ve wanted to find the right site there for a while.
“We’re in a fantastic location and it’s really going to be a wonderful place to eat, one of the jewels of the Jamie’s Italian collection.
“We’re now recruiting and starting to train the very best local waiting staff, chefs and front-of-house staff, so we hope people will come and join us.”
A spokeswoman for the firm said the transformation of the building would ensure original features, including Tudor roof trusses and exposed brick walls, would be preserved, with the restaurant having an open kitchen allowing diners to watch the chefs at work. It will also boast an external dining area.
The building dates back to the 17th century on the site of an earlier friary, and it became a wine cellar for the Lord Mayors of York.
York restaurateur Michael Hjort, who is secretary of York Hospitality Association and who organises the annual York Food And Drink Festival, said: “York has a large number of chain operations, of which the Jamie’s Italian restaurant will be another one.
“There is certainly no harm in competition and I think it will be a welcome addition to the offer York gives to its visitors.”
The sections of the building where the restaurant is taking shape have previously been out of use for several years.
The Jamie’s Italian chain currently has 26 restaurants across the UK, as well as branches in Sydney and Dubai. Its only other Yorkshire restaurant is in Leeds.
Jamie keen for pizza the action
YORK’S popularity seems to grow by the year and as we reported on Saturday, the number of overseas visitors increased by 12 per cent in 2011.
But one of York’s biggest fans lives closer to home; Jamie Oliver who tells us he likes the city so much, he has been looking for a while to find a perfect city centre location for his new restaurant.
Now he has found it; the Grade II listed Lendal Cellars pub, next to Guildhall. And Jamie's Italian will provide 100 new jobs, which comes hard on the heels of the announcement that American fashion retailers Urban Outfitters are set to employ 20 new staff when it moves into High Ousegate.
In these difficult economic times, it is good that York remains a highly prized city and both Jamie Oliver and Urban Outfitters say they have had a longstanding need to be here.
This is yet more evidence that while other towns run campaigns to save their high streets, York continues to buck the trend.
Indeed a report last year named Stonegate the most prized retail address outside central London, while Petergate was nominated for Britain's best shopping street in the Google street view awards.
There may be concern that few of the recent job announcements have been in the manufacturing sector, but with Science City, York does lead the way in industry with cutting-edge, applied research. In any case, jobs, wherever they come from, are always welcome and Jamie Oliver’s desire to be in York adds one more vote of confidence in a city centre that is a sought-after place to do business.
Comments(44)
The Great Buda
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10:00am Mon 13 Feb 12
Even AndyD
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10:09am Mon 13 Feb 12
Blimp
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10:13am Mon 13 Feb 12
Hicarrumba
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10:17am Mon 13 Feb 12
rogue84
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10:26am Mon 13 Feb 12
the commentator
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10:38am Mon 13 Feb 12
Woody Mellor
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10:43am Mon 13 Feb 12
ISeeEverything
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10:48am Mon 13 Feb 12
Woody Mellor
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10:52am Mon 13 Feb 12
ISeeEverything wrote:The end is nigh, the end is niiiiigh!
Lies, damned lies and job creation statistics.
Anna Lupton
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11:07am Mon 13 Feb 12
.uk. He sources the most amazing olives I have ever tasted.
magicadey
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11:34am Mon 13 Feb 12
Yorkenstein
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12:15pm Mon 13 Feb 12
Anna Lupton wrote:Shameless advert Anna - but i suppose the whole article is really. Good on ya!
So pleased to hear that Jamie Oliver is opening up a restaurant in York. It will be an added bonus not only to ourselves and other locals but to our guests who stay with us here at www.carrhousefarm.co
.uk. He sources the most amazing olives I have ever tasted.
redrrr
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12:19pm Mon 13 Feb 12
Barfield24
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12:42pm Mon 13 Feb 12
electricwarrior
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1:13pm Mon 13 Feb 12
oi oi savaloy
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1:14pm Mon 13 Feb 12
emen
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1:32pm Mon 13 Feb 12
Guy Fawkes
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4:08pm Mon 13 Feb 12
More low paid jobs for York
Exactly. Of those 100 jobs created, around 95 of them will probably be on the minimum wage.
Woody Mellor
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4:14pm Mon 13 Feb 12
Guy Fawkes wrote:So what?
More low paid jobs for York
Exactly. Of those 100 jobs created, around 95 of them will probably be on the minimum wage.
songbird1
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5:35pm Mon 13 Feb 12
Garrowby Turnoff
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5:40pm Mon 13 Feb 12
Barfield24 wrote:I remember the Duke of York at Gate Helmsley had a small advertising sign at the bar which bragged:-
I cant agree with the instructions on his sainsbury's sausages more....."**** with fork"
"Try one of our home made Meat Pies... You'll never get better!"
MrsDingledongle
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5:47pm Mon 13 Feb 12
Barfield24 wrote:Love it, love it, love it. Thank you for the biggest laugh of my day! (Do quite like him though)
I cant agree with the instructions on his sainsbury's sausages more....."**** with fork"
ReginaldBiscuit
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5:53pm Mon 13 Feb 12
Woody Mellor wrote:I can see both points. A celebrity restaurant for York is a great thing. It will bring more people into the city - possibly more celebs - and it will create jobs albeit low paid jobs.
Guy Fawkes wrote:So what?
More low paid jobs for York
Exactly. Of those 100 jobs created, around 95 of them will probably be on the minimum wage.
To address low-paid positions and the vacuously empty nad increasingly worse prospects for skilled job-seekers, you need to look directly at successive governments who have strangled manufacturing and murdered skilled labour with an overall dumbing down into low-brow service sector work. Thank god for places like Sheffield which still has globally sought after large-scale manufacturing and expertise.
oi oi savaloy
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6:37pm Mon 13 Feb 12
Woody Mellor wrote:Wow joe strummer saying so what to the minimum wage!! I would have thought he would have been a campaigner for a decent living wage!!
Guy Fawkes wrote:So what?
More low paid jobs for York
Exactly. Of those 100 jobs created, around 95 of them will probably be on the minimum wage.
TERRIER3
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6:39pm Mon 13 Feb 12
jgycfc
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6:57pm Mon 13 Feb 12
It must be a good time to start growing olives near here... Now if only we had the climate?
fear your government
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7:05pm Mon 13 Feb 12
TERRIER3 wrote:really!
any new jobs are a good thing, id rather have a job on minimum wage than sit on my arris all day collecting the dole
you dont mind being exploited then!
may i suggest you move to greece im sure you will do just swell on fresh air and a 22% cut to the minimum wage.
infact why not work for nothing then,.
because that is basically what you are doing on the minimum wage.
i take it from your comment youve never had to work for the minimum wage..... lucky you.......
RIDICULOUS
Woody Mellor
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7:08pm Mon 13 Feb 12
oi oi savaloy wrote:Ha haa. Your the only one I know of that spotted the name!
Woody Mellor wrote:Wow joe strummer saying so what to the minimum wage!! I would have thought he would have been a campaigner for a decent living wage!!
Guy Fawkes wrote:So what?
More low paid jobs for York
Exactly. Of those 100 jobs created, around 95 of them will probably be on the minimum wage.
And I agree with you about what Joe would of wanted, me too! I'm just glad that there will be payed jobs available for the "kids". ;o)
Woody Mellor
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7:17pm Mon 13 Feb 12
fear your government wrote:Tell the skint students its RIDICULOUS. I think you'll find they disagree. Dont believe me? Go ask them when it opens. I agree the minimum wage should be more, but I'll wager that they'll be well pleased with the extra income. (and the tips)
TERRIER3 wrote:really!
any new jobs are a good thing, id rather have a job on minimum wage than sit on my arris all day collecting the dole
you dont mind being exploited then!
may i suggest you move to greece im sure you will do just swell on fresh air and a 22% cut to the minimum wage.
infact why not work for nothing then,.
because that is basically what you are doing on the minimum wage.
i take it from your comment youve never had to work for the minimum wage..... lucky you.......
RIDICULOUS
Silver
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8:06pm Mon 13 Feb 12
Silver
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8:07pm Mon 13 Feb 12
Buzz Light-year
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9:07pm Mon 13 Feb 12
And really, is someone moaning about the minimum wage? Really?
Are we really in a society where having a minimum wage is a *bad* thing? Are we really so afflicted by the rockstar footballer celebrity whatever lifestyle that we think minimum wage is "ridiculous"?
Anyone remember before the minimum wage? When nasty unscrupulous greedy bstrds could pay whatever the **** they wanted and people had to work for it? And people did.
Anyone remember the YTS schemes? You know the ones - you were supposed to be training sort of like an apprenticeship but actually nothing at all like an apprenticeship but you were made to do all the worst most scuzziest of jobs, got the mick ripped out of you all day full time, like 40 hours for TWENTY SEVEN POUNDS FIFTY A WEEK.
As for the restaurant, we have countless Italian eateries already. Yawn.
Omega Point
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9:31pm Mon 13 Feb 12
magicadey wrote:The provision reflects the demand.
shame hardly anything if anything at all suitable for vegetarians again
Malcolm
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10:35pm Mon 13 Feb 12
There's a few businesses in York who could learn from that.
Gazzmann
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10:41pm Mon 13 Feb 12
I despair!!!
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10:44am Tue 14 Feb 12
if it's like all the other chain italians, someone to stick a preprepared meal in the microwave is all that is needed!
Fantastic...
Mr Anderson
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2:30pm Tue 14 Feb 12
I despair!!! wrote:You've obviously not eaten in one if his Italian restaurants. I have.
"Jamie’s Italian Ltd has now begun the search for chefs", if it's like all the other chain italians, someone to stick a preprepared meal in the microwave is all that is needed! Fantastic...
the butler
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6:18pm Tue 14 Feb 12
Good luck to Jamie.ease up on the olive oil?
sunnysteve
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6:36pm Tue 14 Feb 12
McArthur Crown
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4:38pm Wed 15 Feb 12
And if the banks can be forced to start lending again to sole traders maybe we can get a few other places to eat other than chains, of which Jamie's is obviously one.
As for the pub, couldn't care less if it ever opens again, horrible place with horrible beer - and I'm only a lager drinker!
magicadey
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11:20pm Wed 15 Feb 12
Omega Point wrote:i'm sure there are a lot demanding it..
magicadey wrote:The provision reflects the demand.
shame hardly anything if anything at all suitable for vegetarians again
BorderReiver
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9:15am Fri 17 Feb 12
A quality restaurant is due to open and all you hear is whinging about too many pizzerias and the minimum wage ! If you don't like pizza etc, don't go. As for the wage issue, ok its not brilliant, but its a job and you have to start somewhere - good for the cv, a reference from Jamie ! And the tips will more than make up for any initial shortfall. Cheer up and celebrate, you naysayers !
PinzaC55
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3:40pm Fri 17 Feb 12
Firedrake says...
9:54am Mon 13 Feb 12