Jamie Oliver is to launch his first Jamie’s Italian restaurant in central London, with the opening of an outlet in Canary Wharf.

The celebrity chef, who launched the chain to critical acclaim in March this year, has signed a deal with Canary Wharf Group (CWG) to open a branch in the Churchill Place mall next autumn. The restaurant will be housed in a 4,174 sq ft site, next to another new outlet, Rocket.

The move follows other high profile signings in Canary Wharf, with Japanese restaurant concept Roka and British group Canteen set to open at Canada Square Pavilion next autumn.

Camille Waxer, vice president of retail at CWG, said the group was “delighted” that London's first Jamie's Italian will open at Canary Wharf.

“In the next 18 months or so we have KPMG, Fitch Ratings and State Street all opening new office buildings nearby,” she said. “The continued growth in the number of Canary Wharf visitors and workers requires the quality, quantity and variety of dining options to keep pace.”

Simon Blagden, managing director of Jamie's Italian, added: “The Canary Wharf development is a fantastic place to be and I couldn't think of anywhere better for our first location in inner London.”

Jamie’s Italian currently has three operating outlets in Oxford, Bath and Kingston upon Thames, with further sites in Cambridge, Brighton and Cardiff to follow next year.

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By Kerstin Kühn

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