Jamie's Italian extends to North West with Liverpool site

Jamie's Italian, the restaurant chain fronted by Jamie Oliver, is to open its 12th site in Liverpool in June.​

The new site, the chain's first in the North West, will be located on the ground floor of the shopping, entertainment and leisure venue Liverpool ONE.

Jamie's Italian managing director Simon Blagden said: “Liverpool ONE is the perfect location for a Jamie’s Italian. Nowhere is more appropriate for our concept of creating ‘neighbourhood’ restaurants, inspired by the ‘Italian table’ where people relax, share, and enjoy each other's company, than Liverpool, a city famed for its character and warm welcome."

The restaurant will be the fifth to open this year, following sites in Cambridge, Reading, Leeds and Covent Garden.

The first restaurant opened in Oxford in 2008. The company has since opened restaurants in Bath, Kingston, Brighton, Canary Wharf, Guildford and Cardiff.

Schools​

Oliver has also announced he is joining forces with awarding body EdExcel to create a cookery course for secondary school pupils from September.

The new two-level qualification uses video footage to inspire young people to cook from fresh and will teach essential basics such as how to equip a kitchen, food rotation and how to read and understand food labels. A second level will develop a student's ability to plan and prepare a series of nutritious home-cooked meals for breakfast, snacks, lunch and dinner, and help them understand how to cook economically.

Oliver said: "As everyone knows, I am passionate in my belief that cooking should be taught in all schools and I believe that great teachers have a very important role to play in empowering young people with vital knowledge."