Stoke is surely where the true north begins even if you buy into this “Midlands” bollocks.
The North is Newbury to me, if that helps?
Stoke is surely where the true north begins even if you buy into this “Midlands” bollocks.
She was wrong at the time goldy. To the elite in london, the North is a fabled place only read about in books
The North is Newbury to me, if that helps?
- The mass sell-off of social housing.
- NIMBYism with regard to new housing. I think Thatcher created a more selfish mentality than existed previously (having not lived through that era). Blair continued her legacy for sure but then he was more Tory than some Tories.
- It was and still is undoubtedly in the Tories’ interests to restrict supply of housing given their voters’ demographics.
Blair and Brown were far from perfect but I still believe Thatcher (and Thatcherism) is the root cause, as I said.
There are other factors, of course. People don’t want to live in random under-populated parts of the north and Scotland but where people have no links to London, particularly in the most over-subscribed boroughs, it seems logical to not house them there.
The North is Newbury to me, if that helps?
The North is a wilderness and occupied by Neanderthals. Still at least the main language is english, albeit broken english. All are welcome. I can sign some day passes for anyone for a small fee.
Live about 5 miles from harrogate. It is a lovely and expensive place.There are plenty of parts of London like that. I have friends that live in Harrogate - it's beautiful town
Live about 5 miles from harrogate. It is a lovely and expensive place.
Like most issues in this country, Thatcher is the root cause.
Live about 5 miles from harrogate. It is a lovely and expensive place.
Can't you change the print colour to white, Kiwi?Marco Pierre White slams 'delusional' Jamie Oliver for blaming Brexit for the collapse of his restaurant empire and hints 'horrific' wait for food might be more to do with it
By Joseph Curtis For Mailonline
- Marco Pierre White criticised Jamie Oliver for blaming failures on Brexit
- He suggested celebrity chef was 'delusional' and said it was 'lamest excuse'
- Mr White also said he had 'horrific' experience at Mr Oliver's Gatwick restaurant
- Comes after collapse of Mr Oliver's Italian, Barbecoa and Fifteen brands
- The pair of chefs have been embroiled in war of words for the past decade
Published: 22:34 AEST, 21 August 2019 | Updated: 02:42 AEST, 22 August 2019
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Marco Pierre White, pictured, slammed Jamie Oliver for claiming Brexit was to blame for the collapse of his restaurant empire and suggested he was 'delusional' for thinking that" ;
- Brexit over the collapse of his restaurant empire.
The 'Naked Chef' saw 25 of his Italian, Barbecoa and Fifteen eateries close in May when the brands went into administration with around 1,000 jobs lost.
Speaking on Radio 4 earlier this week, Mr Oliver blamed the failures on the high street becoming 'Uber-fied' and the uncertainty of Brexit causing people's eating habits to change.
But, speaking at his Steakhouse Bar & Grill restaurant at The Cube in Birmingham, Mr White dismissed the claims and questioned whether Mr Oliver was 'delusional'.
It is the latest bout in a long-running feud between the pair, with Mr Oliver previously calling Mr White a 'Mafia-don-type character' after he was branded a 'fat chef with a drum kit' by Mr White.
He added he had previously had a 'horrific' experience at a Jamie Oliver restaurant at Gatwick Airport last year due to the wait for his food, suggesting the service may have also had an impact on a drop in trade.
Mr White said: 'I have read Jamie is blaming his business failure on Brexit but I really don't understand that at all.
'Wouldn't that mean then all restaurants have gone bust too?
'I don't think he can blame Brexit. It's the lamest excuse in the world. I think it is wrong to blame Brexit. We're all in the same boat. If it's Brexit's fault, we'd all be bust.
'How can you blame everyone but yourself? Is he delusional?'
On his previous experience dining at a Jamie Oliver restaurant, Mr White said: 'The only time I've ever dined at a Jamie's was at Gatwick Airport. I've dined twice there, most recently, last year.
'Both times I had to wait a very long time for my food. It was horrific. We all make mistakes, we all have bad days.
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Mr Oliver, pictured, said Brexit uncertainty had changed people's eating habits and also blamed the high street being 'Uber-fied'"
Mr White also criticised Mr Oliver in 2010 over his campaign to ban turkey twizzlers from schools five years earlier, claiming it was 'unfair' of his rival to label the product unhealthy. It came after Mr White signed an advertising deal for Bernard Matthews, which produced the twizzlers.
A year later he claimed Mr Oliver was 'not a real chef' because he 'never won a Michelin star' and was therefore 'not accepted by the chef world'.
Mr White has his own food franchise, Black and White Hospitality, following a stellar career in the kitchen where he was the first British chef to win three Michelin stars by the age of 32, also becoming the youngest in the world to achieve that accolade.
Mr White's group owns the rights to eight brands bearing his name and has locations in New York and Abu Dhabi.
Explaining his own approach to business, Mr White said: 'I franchise my brands out to owners then my team and I do the menus, pricing, choose the decor, lighting, music.
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="It comes after his restaurant group went into administration in May causing the closure of more than 20 restaurants including his Jamie's Italian range (file picture)"
It comes after his restaurant group went into administration in May causing the closure of more than 20 restaurants including his Jamie's Italian range (file picture)
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="His Jamie's Fifteen brand (file picture) was also shut down while around 1,000 jobs were lost" class="
His Jamie's Fifteen brand (file picture) was also shut down while around 1,000 jobs were lost
'If I don't like the colour of the ceiling, I will get it changed. In the past I've lowered the ceilings in places - because lower ceilings mean a more buzzy dining atmosphere. And romance is very important for a restaurant.'
He added: 'As a franchiser, I don't pay the business rates Jamie did but I work seven days a week.
Kitchen Wars: How Marco Pierre White and Jamie Oliver have been locked in a feud for the past decade
Marco Pierre White's blast at Jamie Oliver over the collapse of his restaurant empire is not the first time the two have entered a war of words.
They have had beef for much of the past decade, trading barbs occasionally over their respective careers and achievements.
Mr Oliver previously called Mr White a 'Mafia-don-type character' after he was branded a 'fat chef with a drum kit' by Mr White.
Mr Oliver also called him a 'psychological bully' in 2014, but he added he did not 'hate' Mr White and added he was once his childhood hero.
Mr White also criticised Mr Oliver in 2010 over his campaign to ban turkey twizzlers from schools five years earlier, claiming it was 'unfair' of his rival to label the product unhealthy. It came after Mr White signed an advertising deal for Bernard Matthews, which produced the twizzlers.
A year later he claimed Mr Oliver was 'not a real chef' because he 'never won a Michelin star' and was therefore 'not accepted by the chef world'.
'If I'm in the UK I'll regularly be at one of the restaurants - checking everything is okay.
'I don't think Jamie could have gone to Gatwick. Had he gone to Gatwick then he would have realised there were problems there.
'It's not enough to put your name above the door. There's nothing wrong with expanding but you have to have the infrastructure in place - people who understand the restaurant business working for your brand. I don't think Jamie had that.
'Our CEO Nick Taplin is a restaurateur and we have a massive infrastructure - people who visit the restaurants every week.'
Mr White's team also includes executive head chef Jason Everett. He previously worked for the two Michelin-starred restaurant Harvey's in London in the late 1980s, alongside Gordon Ramsay.
Mr White added: 'Service, environment and atmosphere is key - more important than food.
'We're selling a night out. Here we have the views, the good lighting and live music. It's all a package.
'If you worked hard all week and want a treat, then come here and order what we specialise in - steak. We use Campbell's - which is the Queen's butchers. You pay for good meat.
'When we get the bill we say to ourselves - does that represent value? Nothing worse than being stung with a bill that doesn't represent value.
'I have a favourite place to eat near where I live in Bath. I'll have steak and chips or maybe a burger. Is the food the best in the world? No. It's okay food but I feel comfortable in the environment, that's what is important.'
When asked why he believes so many restaurants are now closing, Mr White said: 'If a restaurant closes it's because it's too pricey.
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In the new two-part programme Jamie Oliver: A Life Through Food - which comes just three months after the majority of his restaurants were closed - he claimed his 40th birthday was ruined by the collapse of his business
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Mr Oliver's Barbecoa Butchery range was another of his brands that fell during the collapse (file picture)
Jamie Oliver dons sausage fingers for bizarre Channel 4 promo
'It's all about price points. A lot of people don't want to spend £50 a head on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.
'They will pay £50 a head on a Friday and Saturday if they're getting good value for the overall experience.
'A place that ticks all the boxes. As a customer you should have the choice on the menu to make your dinner as formal and as inexpensive as you want.
'The whole thing about restaurants is you've got to fill them. If you don't fill them you go bust and blame Brexit.'
Mr Oliver recently said the last few months had been the 'most disappointing' of his life.
He told the Times: 'I did believe I could turn it round. I put in £3million, another £3million, then another £3million, however the numbers went.
'But there was no good news.'
Same same every post.Has anyone said that though or are you just getting yourself worked up again?
Absolutely and widely accepted now at last thankfully now the story has been fully told
Still plenty of people still about who think she was a queen type figure.
She set the tone no argument especially for my generation imo
She is directly responsible and ruled as a dictator far too many examples to list in fact
Many seem still stuck in the crap she brought about thankfully she is dead and as I understand it got her just rewards in her final years. Can only imagine the guilt she took with her
Pretty charmless perspective. I wouldn’t mind betting that much of the economic landscape within which you thrive can be attributed to foundations that her administration laid down.
I wouldn’t wish dementia on anyone.
Live about 5 miles from harrogate. It is a lovely and expensive place.

I have a lot of family up in scotland who were directly affected by that old witches decisions. She didnt care less for people up north of the bubble. As for hatred from the left, as Col put it, then if you weren't affected by her regime then you wouldnt have a problem with her. If you were then you would understand the celebrations at her death. She created misery up here for thousands. Good riddance to the evil bitch. If it had been a labour or any other party leader that inflicted the misery she did, then I would say exactly the same about them!I went to college in Harrogate - nice area.
That's not the North though, ya bunch of southerners....
And yes, Thatcher was a **** up here too - lots of joyous singing on the terraces when she died. I had a lot of time for her until I moved up here abd saw the havoc she wrought upon the industries and people of Scotland.
DoneCan't you change the print colour to white, Kiwi?
Pretty charmless perspective. I wouldn’t mind betting that much of the economic landscape within which you thrive can be attributed to foundations that her administration laid down.
I wouldn’t wish dementia on anyone.