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Jack de Wet. -
Jamie’s Italian Brisbane opened its doors in May this year. -
Jamie’s Italian Bali is in Kuta, a popular beach resort destination. -
Jamie’s Italian Moscow is right across from Revolution Square. -
Jamie’s Italian São Paulo is in a modern double-storey building with glass walls, surrounded by a garden. -
Jamie’s Italian Canberra is one of five of the brand’s eateries in Australia. -
Jamie’s Italian Stockholm opened in the Swedish capital in October 2014.
PHOTOS courtesy of Jamie Oliver International
The head of International Design and Development at Jamie Oliver International is a Saffer from Worcester in the Western Cape, and his name is Jack de Wet.
The Western Cape is an incredible place. It has everything you come to appreciate once you’ve gained a bit more perspective in life. Brilliant food, fantastic climate, amazing people and a sense of untouched beauty. I was fortunate to enjoy all of this growing up.
Food got me through seven years of study. I did an undergraduate degree at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology and then a postgraduate course in architecture at the University of Cape Town.
My passion for design comes from everyday life. My home is in North London and I work in Soho. London is an incredibly vibrant and dynamic city that ebbs and flows with new trends, so I literally find inspiration on every street corner.
I live in a world where I get to enjoy both my great loves – food and architecture –in equal measure.
I started working for Jamie Oliver three years ago as head of International Design and Development. I was immediately drawn to the integrity and values that Jamie and the team stood for – both in terms of food and the design principles we apply in our restaurants.
A day in my working life varies hugely. When I am in London it starts at 8 am with a very strong flat white from a Kiwi-run coffee shop in Soho. From there on in its meetings and more meetings. I make a point of going out for lunch, preferably somewhere new. London has a constantly evolving food scene, and it’s always good to track the competition.
I have been tasked with driving the expansion of the Jamie’s Italian restaurant brand internationally. It’s typically a flagship high-street restaurant. We have 18 restaurants to date and we hope to double that in the next two years. [Can’t wait for them to come to South Africa!] We are also working on scaled-down outlets, which we’ll be introducing at airports across the world.
Jamie’s Italian São Paulo was the most exciting to set up. At the risk of stating the obvious, Brazil is a dynamic country enhanced by amazing people. The passion for food, architecture and life in general is palpable.
My favourite items on the Jamie’s Italian menu are Crispy Squid and the Antipasti Plank to start, followed by Truffled Turkey Milanese and a double espresso to top it off.
