British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver is to design home kitchens, and open his first two restaurants in the Middle East, as part of a recently-formed partnership with Leisurecorp.
Both projects are intended for the Water neighbourhood of Jumeirah Golf Estates.
Working in partnership with the luxury brand, Poggenpohl, Oliver has set out to design his perfect kitchen space, which will encourage interaction and entertainment while filling the generous, open-plan designs of the Water properties.
Fully equipped with all kitchen essentials and Miele appliances, the kitchens will also feature a dedicated prep counter, oversized feature fridge and multi-purpose island.
“I’m really excited to be working in Dubai, particularly with Leisurecorp and Poggenpohl, who have allowed me to express myself through these fantastic kitchens, which I hope will inspire people to cook good food and entertain,” Oliver commented.
The two restaurants – Jamie’s Italian and an innovative new BBQ concept – will both be located in the Water neighbourhood’s Life Centre. “What an amazing place to open my first international Jamie’s Italian.
In the UK, people really love the high-quality, affordable and authentic Italian food, and I know it will be the same in Dubai. The BBQ restaurant will be a new concept and it’s something that we’ll be developing over the next few months. Again, I’m really excited about it,” said Oliver.
The culinary partnership between Leisurecorp and Jamie Oliver will also result in the Middle East’s first Kitchen Library, a lending space for all culinary equipment and cookbooks for budding chefs, as well as a new Grab and Go retail concept providing nutritious meals for residents.
“We do not believe anyone has ever created such a wide-ranging and innovative culinary partnership or that such a well-known chef has designed kitchens for properties in a residential development, so we’re obviously delighted to have Jamie Oliver on board,” said Alan Rogers, group CEO of Leisurecorp, the owning company of Jumeirah Golf Estates.
“This is not an endorsement deal. Jamie has spent an extensive amount of time working with Poggenpohl in designing these kitchens and has been intimately involved in the entire process, pouring his passion for cooking as a social experience into the design,” he added.
The Water neighbourhood will contain a mix of villas, townhouses and apartments.
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