Jamie Oliver’s former General Manager at Fifteen in Melbourne, has been charged with arson, criminal damage and theft of AUS$22,000, after the restaurant’s headquarters caught fire earlier this month.

Richard Stralow, 32, from Melbourne suburb Richmond, has denied the allegations and has been granted bail, but has been ordered to stay away from Oliver’s restaurant.

The fire apparently caused $1m of damage to the Fifteen headquarters, which is round the corner from the unharmed restaurant, as well as two other offices and nightclub, The Cherry Bar. The building was unoccupied at the time and no-one was injured.

Fifteen Melbourne launched in 2006, and adopts the same training scheme as in the UK, offering employment opportunities to disadvantaged youngsters.

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