Jamie Oliver and
Heston Blumenthal have distanced themselves from reports linking them to the revolving restaurant at the top of BT Tower, which is understood to be reopening in 2011.
The skyscraper, previously known as the Post Office Tower, has not had a restaurant open to the public since 1980, when the Top of the Tower venue closed after 14 years.
BT, which currently uses the 34th floor restaurant for corporate hospitality and company events, is now planning to reopen it in time for Christmas 2011, with seating for 60-70 diners,
according to the Sunday Times.
The company has begun searching for a big-name chef to oversee the restaurant, with Blumenthal, Oliver and
Gary Rhodes - who runs a restaurant on the 24th floor of Tower 42 in the City – reportedly top of the list.
But while Rhodes’s manager Caroline Teeling said the chef would “absolutely love to be involved”, a spokesman for Jamie Oliver – who is currently overseeing the rollout of Jamie’s Italian - said he had not been approached, while a spokeswoman for Blumenthal said the Fat Duck chef had also heard nothing from BT.
It is thought unlikely that Blumenthal would take on another London site having agreed to open a restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental hotel next year.
An industry source suggested that someone at BT had just “said the first three big name chefs that sprung to mind”.
Celebrity chefs Heston, Jamie or Gary in frame to oversee BT Tower restaurant >> An interview with Gary Rhodes >> First Jamie’s Italian in central London to open ahead of plan >> Heston Blumenthal set to open first London restaurant >>
By Daniel Thomas
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