Jamie Oliver in talks to keep Southend Pier cafe (From Echo)

Good news, but it's the least I would have expected from 'Mr Southend'.

I would like to see a Jamies Italian in the town, but I don't think there's the demographic to support it in the high Street. How sad a comment is that?

Leighdweller wrote:
Good news, but it's the least I would have expected from 'Mr Southend'.

I would like to see a Jamies Italian in the town, but I don't think there's the demographic to support it in the high Street. How sad a comment is that?

I don't know; they've just opened a Patisserie Valerie. All we need is a Carluccio's and a Fortnum and Mason and we'll be there!

Leighdweller wrote:
Good news, but it's the least I would have expected from 'Mr Southend'. I would like to see a Jamies Italian in the town, but I don't think there's the demographic to support it in the high Street. How sad a comment is that?

I disagree. There are some (in fact quite a few) very wealthy people living in Southend, you only have to drive around some of the more upmarket areas to tell that. The problem is they're not being enticed to the High Street and choose to go out of town. Put the shops there, slowly change the clientele and they will come.

mys842 wrote:

Leighdweller wrote: Good news, but it's the least I would have expected from 'Mr Southend'. I would like to see a Jamies Italian in the town, but I don't think there's the demographic to support it in the high Street. How sad a comment is that?

I disagree. There are some (in fact quite a few) very wealthy people living in Southend, you only have to drive around some of the more upmarket areas to tell that. The problem is they're not being enticed to the High Street and choose to go out of town. Put the shops there, slowly change the clientele and they will come.

I don't dispute there are some people with a high disposable income, more that those people are not drawn to the High Street with the dazzling aray of pound shops.

Perhaps you're right - build it and they will come. I hope the cafe get's the go ahead. I would like to visit it.

If there is so much interest then decide on a rent, and auction off a lease for 10 years. At least the market will then decide on the right premium.

God knows what Mr Oliver would do with this cafe?
It's poorly served with little footfall which is why it closed in the first place.
And Mr Oliver isn't going to be sitting down Southend Pier waiting for customers as his empire stretches across the UK.
Incidently the much hyped programme that Mr Oliver made here in Southend is truly awful ,it's a mish-mash of ideas that don't work plus Mr Oliver seems to revel in knocking Essex and just endorses the tiresome stereotyping that plagues this county.
I'm sure now that he hangs with superstars in W. London with his wealth (£180Million) he feels he can exploit his 'roots'? and make more money off the back of it.

Southend is still a seaside town. Let's have good old fish and chips (Van Looy?) Preferably at a reasonable price!

Leighdweller wrote:
Good news, but it's the least I would have expected from 'Mr Southend'.

I would like to see a Jamies Italian in the town, but I don't think there's the demographic to support it in the high Street. How sad a comment is that?

James Trevor Oliver 'Mr Southend'?


Don't make me laugh. Where he comes from in Essex is about as far as it's possible to get from Southend yet still be in Essex.

Good luck to the mockney though if he means to stay in the town and make a go of it.

Eric Whim wrote:

Leighdweller wrote: Good news, but it's the least I would have expected from 'Mr Southend'. I would like to see a Jamies Italian in the town, but I don't think there's the demographic to support it in the high Street. How sad a comment is that?

James Trevor Oliver 'Mr Southend'? Don't make me laugh. Where he comes from in Essex is about as far as it's possible to get from Southend yet still be in Essex. Good luck to the mockney though if he means to stay in the town and make a go of it.

Not my words Eric, they are his own!
His mum was knocked up on the pier apparently. On one of his recent programs where he was filming on the beach and on the pier he kept on going on about it, in front of his mum too. She must feel really proud about that!

Leighdweller wrote:

Eric Whim wrote:

Leighdweller wrote: Good news, but it's the least I would have expected from 'Mr Southend'. I would like to see a Jamies Italian in the town, but I don't think there's the demographic to support it in the high Street. How sad a comment is that?

James Trevor Oliver 'Mr Southend'? Don't make me laugh. Where he comes from in Essex is about as far as it's possible to get from Southend yet still be in Essex. Good luck to the mockney though if he means to stay in the town and make a go of it.

Not my words Eric, they are his own!
His mum was knocked up on the pier apparently. On one of his recent programs where he was filming on the beach and on the pier he kept on going on about it, in front of his mum too. She must feel really proud about that!

his mum and dad missed trick there, they could have called him Piers!

He just uses it for filming...is this his intention? If so it should go to someone who acyually wants to run a business there.

Eric Whim wrote:

Leighdweller wrote:

Eric Whim wrote:

Leighdweller wrote: Good news, but it's the least I would have expected from 'Mr Southend'. I would like to see a Jamies Italian in the town, but I don't think there's the demographic to support it in the high Street. How sad a comment is that?

James Trevor Oliver 'Mr Southend'? Don't make me laugh. Where he comes from in Essex is about as far as it's possible to get from Southend yet still be in Essex. Good luck to the mockney though if he means to stay in the town and make a go of it.

Not my words Eric, they are his own!
His mum was knocked up on the pier apparently. On one of his recent programs where he was filming on the beach and on the pier he kept on going on about it, in front of his mum too. She must feel really proud about that!

his mum and dad missed trick there, they could have called him Piers!

Or Sandy.

Never really saw the appeal of this idiot. What is it that he offers apart from appealing to “Rock & Roll” young sp*nker cooking fans.

He always looks like he could do with a good wash to me

Assuming he actually means to allow us "mere mortals", the local population & visitors, to be able to patronise his venture, then good luck to him. Otherwise, let someone who will open the place to the public to use it & offer him one of the many empty buildings within the borough for his TV projects. A "Jamie's Italian" in Southend? Maybe a better location would be Thorpe Bay or Leigh, but how about a "15" style project here in Southend, that would be a boost.....

The Pier needs an injection of some diverse thinking totally lacking from yesterday's men in The Civic who simply thinking plonking a shed "Cultural Centre" is the answer to the Pier's woes. It's what you actually do on the pier that counts and at the moment it's showing no imagination or rather NO FUN.
Maybe JO maybe a way forward to putting new life in a stale pier that relies too much on fading memories of better times.

the venue does not benifit from enough per anum custom to support a business, with high rental cost and a even higher insurance this venue is only good for sombody with a chain as an advertising tax loss, nomatter who has it.

SARFENDMAN wrote:
The Pier needs an injection of some diverse thinking totally lacking from yesterday's men in The Civic who simply thinking plonking a shed "Cultural Centre" is the answer to the Pier's woes. It's what you actually do on the pier that counts and at the moment it's showing no imagination or rather NO FUN.
Maybe JO maybe a way forward to putting new life in a stale pier that relies too much on fading memories of better times.

Diverse thinking hummm, your good at that, so why not come up with a cash making venture of your own for once, and stop moaning about the already realised efforts of others, Im sick and tired of reading the comments of idiotic dreamers here

Episode 1 of Jamie's show had him commenting "The cafe's filling up with locals" while episode 2 went further and actually mentioned "opening hours"!

Now not wanting to state the obvious but... the makeshift cafe was a closed set and the pier was closed during filming so I presume the "locals" were more than likely production crew.

In my opinion both the TV show AND our esteemed Council appear to be making a laughing stock of the Town by continuing to pretend that this cafe is a bona fide business enterprise. If some of my friends are daft enough to think the cafe is real then how much further has this ridiculous notion spread?

just a simple question, since the pier is owned by us the council tax payers of southend, the money the council charged for Mr Olivers exclusive use of the end of my pier, will this result in a rebate on my council tax bill, or are we supporting the chav cook ?