Union Jacks: Oliver’s British Pizza

The latest Jamie Oliver concept, Union Jacks, has gone live online. Www.unionjacksrestaurants.com is the first glimpse of Oliver’s new Anglo-Italian concept, where ‘wood-fired flatbreads meet great British flavours’. Intriguing, but not as confusing as the bra advert on the homepage.

An excerpt from the site says: ‘At Union Jacks, [we] want to take you on a journey of discovery through Britain and reintroduce you to familiar flavours, cooked and presented the Union Jacks way. Our incredible flatbreads and wood-fired cooking methods nod to traditions that are universally loved, and nearly all of the ingredients for the toppings are unabashedly local.’

The Union Jacks concept is an interesting symbiosis of British food trends combined with long term consumer demand for Italian cuisine. Using of the word ‘flatbreads’ rather than pizza enables the concept to straddle two cuisine types effectively without alienating one another.

Chris Bianco, founder of the renowned Pizzeria Bianco in the US, has been helping Oliver mastermind the ‘flatbread’ offering at Union Jacks and is a Director of the new Jamie Bianco Ltd. Biancio opened his first Pizzeria in 1987 and has since received wide acclaim for his ‘world class’ food. The presence of Bianco on these shores demonstrates Oliver’s aspiration to compete with the major pizza players in the UK, albeit with a British twist.

The roll-out of Franco Manca and the out of London expansion for Rossopomodoro are all clear signs that the UK pizza market is entering a more mature phase where multiple operators are concerned. It seems that Jamie wants a piece of the pie.

I am certainly looking forward to seeing how the concept hangs together. With such an experienced management team, led by Simon Blagden, its hard to see the restaurant ding badly, its more a question of how quickly the roll-out occurs.

Union Jacks: opening in November

Central St Giles
London WC1H 8AG

Meatballs at the Quality Chop House

The Quality Chop House at the top of Farringdon Road is an age old landmark nestled among the gastro-hub surrounding Exmouth Market. It started out as a 'Progressive Working Class Caterers' serving the local manual labourers in the 1870s. The grade two listed building has remained relatively unchanged ever since, although the previous tenants had let conditions slip. A full interior renovation has the place back to its former glory with many of the original fixtures in shiny working order. A magnificent wooden refrigerator made to fit in a narrow gap between the internal staircase and kitchen has been put back to work (see above right).

The work done at the Chop House could not have been undertaken by some motley start-up crew - this sensitive restoration and application of a cunningly thought out concept is surely the work of a seasoned pro. It was my intention to get to the bottom of this NYC inspired meatball concept where a portion of 3 balls is a mere £3.95.

Meatballs is a neatly branded package; a choice of five balls made of all the major meats and a courgette version come in portions of three, but you can add an extra bonus ball for a quid. Here is the clever bit - Sliders. Stick any of the above into a cutesy brioche bun bang, it's fun for everyone. Chunky sides like pappardelle (£2.95) and parmesan cream sauce (an extra £1) or creamed spinach make this diner so amenable it hurts (note: no chips). Tailoring to taste has never been so easy.

So who's behind it all? Hugh Fowler is the man with the plan, and this is just the latest ruse from the casual dining veteran whose CV is as long as your arm. Hugh's restaurant career started in the mid 70s whilst working for the global chain Pizzaland; he then assisted on the first attempt to import the Wendy's brand into the UK. After running two businesses near Tower Bridge, one cafe and ice-cream parlour and a baked potato business, he opened Cafe Pasta in 1987 with his wife Shelly. Cafe Pasta was a huge success and ten years later Fowler sold the chain to Pizza Express for a tidy sum. In 2003 he started Hamburger Union then became MD of CG Restaurants who own Tutton's in Covent Garden and the Fire & Stone pizza brand. Fair to say that this is a man who has earned his stripes.

Meatballs at the Quality Chop House is pretty recession proof with cheap eats offered in a location that will surely have it packed from noon till night. Possibly ripe for a roll out but given the truly magnificent setting it's hard to see it working as well somewhere with less unique character.

Meatballs at The Quality Chop House
92-94 Farringdon Road
London. EC1R 3EA
T: 020 3490 6228
www.meatballs.co.uk

Go to map

Opening Friday 26 August 2011

Some swell shots of the food on Sarah Kemp's blog here