Justin Hardy on designing for Jamie Oliver


Since 2009 Justin Hardy has been director of design & developments at Jamie Oliver Restaurants. He has overseen the design and roll-out of many brands including Jamie’s Italian, Trattoria, Diner, Barbecoa, and Union Jack.


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What's your design background?
I studied architecture at University of Greenwich (degree and diploma) and then spent four years at Martin Brudnizki Design Studio, where I worked on a concept for Jamie's Italian. I moved to Melbourne for a while but came back when the chance of working again with Jamie Oliver and [managing director] Simon Blagden arose.

What is the remit of your role?
It's never-ending! I oversee every project in the restaurant group, from developing the new concept to the roll-out. We don't ever replicate - each Jamie's Italian is totally bespoke. So much work goes into one of those projects.

What appeals to you about working in the restaurant sector?
It's fast-paced - one of the reasons I went away from architecture was that it was so slow. In the restaurant world, you spend three or four months on the design then 12 weeks on site. It's a real buzz. I've never had a boring day.

Jamie’s Italian, Aberdeen, with design by Stiff & Trevillion

How do you go about commissioning design?
We're loyal to our designers. We've been working with a group of three regular companies - Martin Brudnizki Design Studio, Stiff Trevillion and Black Sheep - for more than five years. More recently, because we've been so busy and have had to juggle our design resources, we've started to diversify and have worked with Ian Haigh of Central Design Studio and are looking to work with Macaulay Sinclair as well.

Do you have design competitions?
We work at such a pace that there hasn't been time. But never say never - it would be nice to do so in the future.

Jamie’s Italian, Newcastle, design by MBDS
Jamie's Italian, Newcastle, design by MBDS

What do you look for in a designer or architect?
We let them work their magic. Each designer has their own language. But every so often it's nice to rip up the rule book and see what new designs we can come up with.

What makes for a good restaurant design?
It has to be a really warm place to come into. We use lovely tactile materials so that it's a nice place to be in and we spend a fortune on lighting. That way we can dim it down so that you feel like you're in your own little bubble at the table.

Jamie’s Italian, Newcastle, design by MBDS
Jamie's Italian, Newcastle, design by MBDS

How long do you expect a restaurant design to last before it needs changing?
We do go round refreshing them here and there with new elements such as colour, seating and lighting. But we're now at six years with Jamie's Italian in Oxford and I don't think we need to have a major face-lift yet. Jamie's restaurants are always going to have a great piece of timber or a beautiful stone floor - all of our finishes are natural so that they can stand the test of time.

What other restaurants do things well?
The Soho House people pull off a good restaurant. But there are loads of amazing little restaurants popping up all over the place and doing things beautifully. The competition is huge these days.

Jamie’s Italian, Newcastle, design by MBDS
Jamie's Italian, Newcastle, design by MBDS

What are your future plans for further restaurants?
We're doing more Jamie's Italians - we currently have 34 and will eventually get up to about 40. We're opening a second Barbecoa in Piccadilly designed by MBDS and are looking to expand that brand internationally. We have our second Trattoria opening in Chelmsford, which will offer eclectic, all-day dining, designed in-house in collaboration with PNW. It's being done quite simply, sourcing really beautiful objects. We're also working on a new restaurant concept.








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