Jamie Trevor Oliver, a well-known British chef and cookbook author, has expanded his culinary empire to the vibrant city of Ahmedabad in India. Oliver, known for his casual approach to cuisine, has made a substantial mark in culinary television and the restaurant industry. With a brand spanning cookbook, cooking shows, and restaurants, Jamie Oliver favours fresh, sustainable ingredients and seeks to ignite a passion for homemade, delectable meals worldwide. For the first time ever, the Jamie Oliver restaurant chain has opened a vegetarian restaurant that serves only vegan and vegetarian dishes in Ahmedabad.
This new establishment exclusively offers vegan and vegetarian delicacies, catering to the diverse tastes and preferences of food enthusiasts in the region. As per the reports, at the opening of the brand's first location in Gujarat, Jasper Reid, Director of Dolomite Restaurants Pvt Ltd, said, “While growing up I saw the vibrant and highly successful Gujarati community in the UK and I wanted to open a restaurant in Ahmedabad. This is a decades old dream, and we are so honoured to be able to serve our customers in this great state capital and to make new friends for life. We hope to be as successful as the Gujaratis who went to the UK and promise we will work hard, learn from Gujarat and earn our right to be a part of the community. This is the first all vegetarian Jamie’s restaurant anywhere on earth and I cannot think of a better place to launch.”
Gujaratis are renowned for their business minds and deep love for vegetarian cuisine. When they go on business trips, they always carry a bag of snacks like khakra, fafda, and more. It doesn't matter how remote the location is; Gujaratis can't do without these treats. Part of the reason for this is also their commitment to vegetarianism, which ensures they can enjoy these snacks even when vegetarian food isn't readily accessible. Even though Gujaratis are found all over the world and are known for their food choices, their hearts truly belong to Gujarat.
The first one, in Delhi, opened in 2015, while the Ahmedabad outlet is the company's 25th in the country. Spread out around 1,500 square feet, the Jamie Oliver Kitchen in Ahmedabad has space for 40 guests. For which Reid said “I am a bit cautious about going crazy and making them too big,”. Three main concepts fall under the umbrella of the company's operations: the kitchen, the pizzeria and the café. The largest layout of the kitchen can cover anywhere from 1,500 to 3,000 square feet and can seat as many as 100 people.
“Ahmedabad is the global launch site for our vegetarian outlet. We have spent eight years studying the market. Ahmedabad has a very big vegetarian community. There is also a percentage of the community in the city which wants to come to only an all-vegetarian restaurant. We hope it works. Maybe the next restaurant we plan in Ahmedabad, Vadodara or Surat could be a mix of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian,” Reid further added.
He also told the daily, “The average spend for our kitchen in Ahmedabad would be around Rs 800-1,000. It will be fine-dining quality. We make our own dough. We make our own eggless pasta. There is zero junk food. Except for tinned sweet Mediterranean tomatoes and some Olives, most of the ingredients are fresh and sourced from the local markets. We take ingredients very seriously. We also have a system to ensure that the ingredients are of the best quality, and it is traceable.”