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AIBU?

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Original poster

Jamie Oliver - Jamie's Italian etc

157 replies

decisionsindecisions · 21/05/2019 16:11

AIBU to not be at all surprised about the collapse of his restaurant chains?

I feel incredibly sorry for the people who worked there but the food was, for the most part, inedible. His food on his tv shows always looks fantastic but unfortunately this did not seem to translate into his restaurants, particularly Jamie's Italian.

Obviously he was just the "brand" to get people through the door but if the food is shite then the business was sure to fail.

OP posts:
Malbecfan · 21/05/2019 19:55

Went once to Jamie's Italian. It was very expensive and very ordinary not particularly well-cooked food. The service was dire.

I feel sorry for the staff but my only surprise is it lasted as long as it did.

User8888888 · 21/05/2019 20:01

It doesn’t surprise me really. For an Italian it was missing pizza from the menu for a long time and the children’s menu used to be a bit wierd. Pizza express have done really well to appeal to multiple customers: dieters, families, quick work lunch, parties etc. There wasn’t enough difference to make me go to Jaime’s And pay more.

SaveKevin · 21/05/2019 20:01

Fifteen was lovely.
1st time I went to Jamie’s Italian it was brilliant, expensive but great.
2nd and 3rd time, even more expensive and just ‘ok’. Think I paid over £15 for a vege salad.

However the kids did some of his cooking courses and had a ball.

I think it grew too quickly and there was some complacency. I ALSo think when the likes of prezzo and ask are always doing discounts, it’s suddenly even more expensive. With quality not matching the price.

SaveKevin · 21/05/2019 20:02

I also think people are feeling the pinch so just aren’t stretching themselves as much with treats.

givemesteel · 21/05/2019 20:13

It's not terrible but it's overpriced for what it is (or was). They're in town centres where you usually have the choice of pizza express/strada/zizzi, which is similar fare but cheaper.

I personally love pizza express, I really enjoy the pizzas, my kids are guaranteed to eat something (not always the case) and you can always download a voucher off your phone to bring the price down by 25% or so. No way would I choose Jamie Italian over pizza express, and I'm someone who enjoys cooking, and use his Italian cook book and other Italian cook books like the river cafe ones.

There's a price people are willing to pay for chain restaurant food and JI just went above it without providing a better experience.

rockingthelook · 21/05/2019 21:00

It's nearly always the same when a celebrity chef owns or endorses restaurants, most people go there thinking they will enjoy the standard of food that the chef is famous for, unless they are are actually there at the stoves cooking, then the diners will be disappointed. Overpriced and lack of supervision by the owner, sadly it was always going to happen, so sad for the staff

Chottie · 21/05/2019 21:07

I've eaten in 15 in Cornwall and the food was fab. We went for our anniversary and the desert plate had 'happy anniversary' written on it., which was a nice touch.

I've eaten in about 4 different Jamie's Italian and I liked the food and the service. I found the portions very large, so always ordered the smaller, starter size portion which was perfect :)

Ontheboardwalk · 21/05/2019 21:19

Lone voice here but I really liked the Jamie’s in Manchester. Average price compared to the other restaurants around King Street and the staff and the service have always been fantastic.

I do however find Jamie annoying with his numerous campaigns

onlyconnect · 21/05/2019 21:21

I think the restaurants were a bit different from other chains and quite good when they first opened. Then after a time of not going I went to one in Manchester 2 years ago and it was completely different. The menu had changed and becomes more bog-standard chain Italian. It was awful. I actually complained and was offered a free lunch but when I emailed to claim it, there was no response

Nikhedonia · 21/05/2019 21:34

Feel awful for the staff.

Cannot stand Jamie Oliver, though. Don't feel like I can get too worked up about him losing £13m either.

PregnantSea · 22/05/2019 06:23

I've found the food to be varying in quality depending on which one you're in. It's usually between awful and ok. Overpriced though, unfortunately.

ChocChocButtons · 22/05/2019 06:30

I went at Xmas, it was really nice had a lovey pre Xmas lunch with friends, very nice staff etc.

Such a shame.

sashh · 22/05/2019 06:37

When you've got a chain of 25 or so restaurants it's going to be a pretty tough task to ensure that the quality remains the same throughout.

Lots of chains manage it, McDonalds, Garfunkel's, TGI Friday etc.

MsTSwift · 22/05/2019 06:44

I suffered proper food poisoning from Jamie’s Italian. Dh reported it to them they couldnt have been less interested. Never been so ill and I’ve backpacked in India. To be fair it was mussels but still. Know it was that as went from perfectly healthy to a vomiting wreck within hours

EssentialHummus · 22/05/2019 06:47

I think his heart is in the right place, but chain restaurants aren’t his forte. And yes, standardisation/quality control isn’t a dark art - see McDonalds etc. I wish his staff all the best.

Handofglory · 22/05/2019 06:50

Kids meals beyond awful. We took dd a few years ago as a treat-she chose chicken skewers and sweet potato fries. The only edible part was the salad. When I couldn’t eat it and I eat anything!

Basilneedswaterandsun · 22/05/2019 06:50

It’s tough out there for restaurants at the moment. The decline of Prezzo and Cau shows that chains have to be really attractive in order to survive. I ate once in JI in Guildford have to be honest, really liked it. It was expensive though - could get half decent food at zizzi / pizza express for much less - and try do deals.

Basilneedswaterandsun · 22/05/2019 06:51

Typo. They not try

bettyrollinscampbandage · 22/05/2019 06:55

When you've got a chain of 25 or so restaurants it's going to be a pretty tough task to ensure that the quality remains the same throughout

Literally the job he chose for himself with this endeavour. Especially as he put his name on it.. if you can't be arsed to do the job, don't start it

AJPTaylor · 22/05/2019 06:58

Service was poor in the one I went to twice. Did the whole "let's see if we can fit you in, wait over there" in an empty restaurant at 1 o'clock.
Sadly for them within 2 mins walk was carluccios, Nandos, pizza express and Zizzis, all of whom were pleased to see you.

LakieLady · 22/05/2019 07:00

I wonder if people are getting disenchanted with paying prices in double figures for food that is very cheap to produce? The Prezzo local to me closed down a few months ago, and Aqua Italia has just shut.

Sadly, they lasted longer than the family-run independent Italian restaurant that was really excellent, but closed last year.

BloggersNet · 22/05/2019 07:02

People just don't have the money to spare. Those who do would still go somewhere cheap.

bumblingbovine49 · 22/05/2019 07:07

I have lovely memories of eating at Jamies Italian in the early days when they were first opening. I took a young DS (about 4) who usually was a nightmare in restaurants. It was a relatively: posh: environment to take a small child and I wasn't sure it would go well when we got there

It was lovely. They have DS a viewfinder thing to see what was on the children's menu which was all ' posh children's type food eg spaghetti Bolognese,.homemade fish goujons. I had a really nice meal in a nice environment. DS was happy, the food an the service was quick. What's not to like.

It was a bit expensive even then though.so we didn't go much at all

It had gone downhill a.lot recently. I couldn't believe how bad the food bad got when we went there for the last time a couple of years ago and the portions were to tiny for the price.

RuggyPeg · 22/05/2019 07:09

We went to Barbacoa opposite st Paul's once. It was awful. Staff never stopped harassing us - had to ask them to leave us alone. Food was mediocre at best. 2 meals werent cooked and had to go back. Bill was £500+ for 4 of us and we didn't go crazy. View over St Paul's was fantastic though!

Somersetlady · 22/05/2019 07:16

Two experiences of eating there in a Dubai and a London. Both mediocre food at best.

Very sad for those that are now looking for new jobs.

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