Jamie Oliver: Every picture tells a story

[Pale Rider]

Shockingly low profits considering the level of turnover.

Perhaps Oliver was paying a living wage instead of the pittance often given to waiting and kitchen staff.

Perhaps he was paying more for ethically produced ingredients, something which often doesn't translate to better taste,

Which is why chains can get away with using the cheap stuff.

Everyone is a business expert at times such as these.

To be fair to Oliver, he gave it a good thrash.

Better to be a has been than a never was.

 

[PK99]

Perhaps Oliver was paying a living wage instead of the pittance often given to waiting and kitchen staff.

Perhaps he was paying more for ethically produced ingredients, something which often doesn't translate to better taste,

Which is why chains can get away with using the cheap stuff.

Everyone is a business expert at times such as these.

To be fair to Oliver, he gave it a good thrash.

Better to be a has been than a never was.

From reports you are being over generous (and guessing rather hopefully...), a snippet from an ex worker in today's Times2

During university, when I worked in a big northern city branch, a chef who was supposed to be on a trial shift was made to work the entire night on the pasta section when his superior hung up his apron and made for the door. I still remember the excruciation of apologising to diners because one person on the table had been waiting 50 minutes for their seafood linguine while their friends sat staring at their by now shivering mains. They didn’t think it was pukka then.

If it wasn’t staffing, then it was the quality control. The portion sizes seemed smaller, and many of the dishes were served in school dinner-style tins that we watched diners examine sceptically at the tables. I stopped working for the chain during my final year of university, but sometimes still ate there. To me, it felt a bit worse with every visit.

Then in 2012 a leaked list of words that waiting staff should use to describe the specials seemed to confirm that the emphasis was off the food and on to brand Jamie. Dishes were directed to be sold as “mega”, “wicked”, “magic” or “scrummy”, and even the word “pimp” (as in, “to pimp”?) was on there. I’m sure I remember once seeing this on a specials board. “Pimped-up seabass with awesome fennel,” I think was on offer that day. So much for the once-authentic style.

The last time I was at a Jamie’s Italian was in Edinburgh about four years ago. I ordered a bruschetta that I remembered as coming topped with a mound of white crabmeat and speckled with lots of red chilli, but what arrived was a disappointment. “They’ve literally halved the size,” the waiter whispered when I told him I used to work there.

 

[Crackle]

I've never been to a Jamie wotsit but his cookbooks are shoot and his TV stuff entertaining but decidedly average results. I may have said that before. @rich p will know?

 

[PK99]

I've never been to a Jamie wotsit but his cookbooks are shoot and his TV stuff entertaining but decidedly average results. I may have said that before. @rich p will know?

His TV reputation was built on "cooking for people who don't cook" (men?). I used to have his Naked Chef books but they went in a recent cull of "cook books I have not looked at in a log while" to make room for cookbooks I like and read for fun and inspiration. Nigel Slater, Meera Sodha, Marcus Waring are regulars

While D2 was at Portsmouth Uni, we ate at the Jamie's there (closed in the previous cull) once, maybe twice. The fact I can't remember really says it all - pricey, ordinary and unmemorable about sums it up. The name drew us in. The execution of the food disappointed.

 

[Paulus]

I have eaten at Jamie's Italian in Upper Street Islington. It was as others have said quite noisy. The food although quite tasty was nothing special, and the portions weren't that big. The sauce seemed formulaic as if from a big vat of industrially made stuff and didn't have that home/fresh cooked taste.

 

[screenman]

He’s still worth £150 million.
The gross profit on a £10 plate of pasta is £9, so his overheads must have been huge.

I feel there is a massive difference between profit and margin.

 

[screenman]

If they got you in when you would not have gone there, it cost them somewhat less than £10 (£29 wine list price) and you paid how much for food and other booze? They made a profit.


I think you may find they did not make a profit.

 

[Beebo]

I feel there is a massive difference between profit and margin.

Clearly a huge difference. The cost of labour, premises, consumables, tax and I suspect servicing a huge debt was eating away at what, on paper, should be a profitable business.
All food and drink has massive mark ups.

 

[screenman]

Perhaps Oliver was paying a living wage instead of the pittance often given to waiting and kitchen staff.

Perhaps he was paying more for ethically produced ingredients, something which often doesn't translate to better taste,

Which is why chains can get away with using the cheap stuff.

Everyone is a business expert at times such as these.

To be fair to Oliver, he gave it a good thrash.

Better to be a has been than a never was.

Love that last line.

 

[screenman]

Clearly a huge difference. The cost of labour, premises, consumables, tax and I suspect servicing a huge debt was eating away at what, on paper, should be a profitable business.
All food and drink has massive mark ups.

I was replying to PK99, I would say after running many well paying businesses for over 43 years I know the difference between the two, many people do not though.

 

[NorthernDave]

We used to eat there once a year (Cheltenham branch for choice) because as a Gold Card holder they gave you a free bottle of prosecco on your birthday. Lord knows how much they lost - we did that for 5 or 6 years IIRC.

Did you only get the free prosecco once a year?
The offer was redeemable each time you went in two weeks either side of your birthday.

 

[screenman]

Did you only get the free prosecco once a year?
The offer was redeemable each time you went in two weeks either side of your birthday.

So it is your fault they have gone skint.

 

[Fab Foodie]

There was for Paul Young

...and Nigel Slater....

 

[Fab Foodie]

I've never been to a Jamie wotsit but his cookbooks are shoot and his TV stuff entertaining but decidedly average results. I may have said that before. @rich p will know?

Have to disagree on his cookbooks! Tasty food, simple to make.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

Prefer Gordon Ramsey's videos on Youtube to be honest. I now make great scrambled eggs and wonderful steaks.