From Italy to Hyderabad

The love that many of us have for pizza is never-ending. In this regard, The Pioneer spoke to one of the most famous pizza chain’s director, Jasper Reid, who is also the founder and CEO of Dolomite Restaurants Pvt. Ltd., the company that manages the Jamie Oliver Restaurants in India, for our weekly edition of the Hyderabond. During an exclusive chat with us, Jasper spoke about the beginning of the franchise in Hyderabad, his association with the city, and much more.

Shikha Duggal

Jamie’s Italian launches Burger Festa, freshly made with toasted, homemade brioche buns, where you get to pick your side. Sharing about not just good food, but creating a memorable experience with The Pioneer, it was time for Jasper Reid to dig in deep with us about his pizzeria place in Hyderabad.

Before that, let us try to harken back to some history. Jamie Oliver was an English chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author. He was known for his casual approach to cuisine, which led him to host numerous television shows and open many restaurants too! The celebrity chef exhibited enthusiasm when it came to cooking international cuisine, but his recipes haven’t always been well received in their homelands, like Oliver’s fried rice fiasco. But with Jamie Oliver Pizzeria here in Hyderabad, we had so many questions to ask Jasper. For example, what led to the beginning of this franchise? The spokesperson said, “Four generations of my family have lived and worked in India. We are British by origin but in love with this country! We kept talking to people who told us they craved authentic Italian cuisine, and we have always loved Jamie Oliver, so India and Jamie came together — like a love match!”

The main character, Oliver, first captured the public’s attention when his 1999 television series The Naked Chef premiered.In 2005, he launched a campaign, Feed Me Better, to introduce schoolchildren to healthier foods, which was later backed by the government. A lesser-known fact is that the first of its restaurants was opened in Oxford in 2008, and from there on, there is no end to its chain.

The chain is now allowing you to build your own pizza, which you can choose and they will bake! You can get your loved ones to build a pizza right from scratch, where you can choose your hero ingredient, favourite sauce, and toppings. They will bake your pizza to order using only the highest quality mozzarella and cheddar cheese. Jasper continued, “In a word, freshness makes us stand out from other pizza chains. Everything we do is done from scratch and to order, and we only use the best ingredients. We make all our dough, our sauces, and all our dishes by hand and with love. We believe in simple and honest cooking.”

Apart from this, as we discussed above about the holder’s Good Samaritan deeds, his show did such a great job of reminding schools and the government that good food did not have to be expensive food and even got the attention of the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair. And what happened next was surreal: Blair met Oliver and pledged that he would support the rebuilding of school kitchens so that fresh meals were made daily, junk food would be produced less, and additional staff training would be provided!

Jasper didn’t shy away from applauding Hyderabadis either. He stated, “The great people of Hyderabad appreciate great, fresh, authentic food. The culinary heritage of Hyderabad is famous all around the world, and quality is a must. We always wanted to come to Hyderabad because we felt we could play a part in developing Italian food in this wonderful city. South Italy’s food is dominated by tomatoes, olive oil, and pasta, while the north’s common ingredients are alpine cheese and meat. We brought those to the city of Biryani.”

The primary thing about Italian cuisine is its sheer simplicity! A good olive oil, sea salt, and a small amount of balsamic vinegar are all you need to make an outstanding salad. But talking about pizzas, their style is described as “crispy and crunchy crust with a light airy interior, loaded with delicious toppings, a unique flour blend, and a fast service style.”

“Pizzas are the ultimate customizable food, and we want everyone to have it their way, any time. It’s also a super creative and interactive activity, and everyone learns a lot. We hope that some customer creations may also go on our menu. Pizza was always about the people and not the chefs, and so “build your own” is just the last in the history of pizza power for the people. In my view, nothing beats a simple margarita. This is the ultimate litmus test for any pizzeria or pizzaiolo. But it’s not that easy. You need to know your dough and make it with love; you need time; you need the best San Marzano tomatoes and the best mozzarella; and, above all, you need to make it with love. Love is the answer, and we know that for sure,” signed off Jasper on an exclusive note with us.