Even if you don’t know exactly who Jamie Oliver is, you’ve probably heard his name. The British chef has been in the public eye since 1999 when his show The Naked Chef premiered on the BBC.
Since then, he has gone on to host 30 different TV shows and specials, as well as release 22 cookbooks and open three restaurants across
Jamie Oliver turned some heads this week when it was announced that baby strollers were no longer welcome inside his restaurant, Fifteen. It’s not a ban of children, though. Still, it makes it a lot harder to enjoy a family dinner when you can’t bring your children in their strollers.
It’s especially odd to some people that Jamie Oliver is choosing to make this ban, considering he himself has 5 kids. He of all people should know what it’s like to try and find dining establishments that welcome children!
«Despite our child being asleep and there being empty tables with lots of space around them, we were told this was the policy,» said one mom, who had already carried her stroller down a steep set of stairs. «Considering Jamie has five kids we were very shocked.»
But despite all the controversy, Oliver’s restaurant management team doesn’t seem to think there’s an issue with the ban.
Continue reading to find out how they are defending their decision.
The decision comes after management realized they needed to address space issues inside the venue. In a release, they also note that it’s not kids that are banned from the restaurant, it’s just their stroller.
«The baby would need to be included in the number of people booked for the table so we have enough room to pop a chair there for the car seat to sit on, or for a highchair if they are awake.»
This is the full statement from Lauren Hogan, Marketing Manager at Fifteen:
“Our policy around restricting prams and buggies is purely down to space constraints within the restaurant, particularly with respect to access and fire safety regulations. We can make individual exceptions in circumstances of special need, but generally, as our Reservations Team explain to all customers, there is no scope to bring buggies into the restaurant. The restaurant is famous for its panoramic sea views and for being right on the beach, but our amazing location means that we have limitations around space and the ability to store prams or buggies. However it’s a very short walk from the car park to the restaurant. The experience of our customers is paramount and we ensure that while they are here they are looked after and experience first class customer care.”
But if you look at it from the restaurant’s point of view, it does make sense. The restaurant isn’t overly spacious, and with hot food, heavy trays, and a full waitstaff all flying around, it can be a disaster waiting to happen. Imagine a tray of hot soup falling on someone because there was no room around a stroller. That’s not a good outcome for anyone.
In the end, it’s ultimately Jamie Oliver’s decision on what he thinks is best for his business. He may lost some customers, but he will gain a more spacious dining environment.
What do you think? Did Oliver go too far?
