Jamie's Italian lands a place in Harden's UK Restaurant Guide 2010

12th January 2010, 9:56am

Jamie Oliver's new restaurant chain, Jamie's Italian, has been recognised in the Harden's UK Restaurant Guide 2010 with editors of the publication describing his entry as a “striking success story”.

The publication of the guide, in association with Rémy Martin Fine Champagne Cognac, also sees the results of the annual survey of over 8,000 restaurant-goers.

Co-editor Richard Harden explains how rare it is for restaurant-chains to makes waves in these kinds of guides: "Over nearly two decades now, our surveys of regular restaurant-goers have tended to produce a clear thumbs-down for spin-off ventures from celebrity chefs. Given this past 'form', it's impressive what a warm welcome survey reporters have given to Jamie Oliver's new chain.

"This is the first time in living memory a multiple venture branded with the name of a celebrity chef has made a really positive contribution to the world of dining out. The secret would appear to be that the group has set itself realistic aims, and offers a good-value package which fills a real gap in the market.

"Indeed, it's rather sobering the way the group's immediate success tends to emphasise how little good mid-price eating there still is in some cities. In Oxford, for example, Jamie's Italian has quickly established itself as one of the top restaurants in town."

The survey also highlights the best up-and-coming restaurant across the UK, and, this year, Edinburgh restaurant Wedgwood secures the Rémy Martin V.S.O.P Award.

Harden said: "It's appropriate that Wedgwood emerged as our top non-London newcomer, as Edinburgh is now very clearly the UK's best city for top-end dining-out after that other capital, down South."

Runners up for the V.S.O.P award were:

• The Fish House (Chilgrove) (The new venture from David Barnard, whose previous venture, the Crab at Chieveley, won a Rémy Award back in 2005.)
• Turners (Birmingham)
• Vatika (Southampton)
• Sam's (Brighton)

The top overall survey performer and winner of the Rémy Martin X.O. Excellence Award was Mr Underhill's. Chris and Judy Bradley have a business as well as marriage partnership going back nearly 30 years, and their current restaurant-with-rooms has itself been a fixture of the 'Ludlow phenomenon' for a dozen years.

Runners-up for the X.O Excellence Award were:

• Gidleigh Park (Chagford)
• Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons (Great Milton)
• The Waterside Inn (Bray)
• Northcote (Langho)

Related Articles:

• 27 Sep 2010 - Flagship Fifteen restaurant gets a light makeover
• 01 Sep 2010 - Viajante is London's best new restaurant according to Harden's
• 19 Aug 2010 - London restaurants defy the downturn with record openings
• 03 Sep 2009 - Food critics set to reveal their secrets
• 01 Sep 2009 - Murano receives high listing in Harden's London Guide
• 28 Aug 2008 - Harden's get trendy

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