HE’S known for whipping up meals in minutes, bringing good food to the masses and campaigning for better grub in our schools.

Now Jamie Oliver is set to open one of his popular restaurant chains in Southampton as the superstar chef has confirmed he will be part of the city’s £80m retail and leisure development.

Jamie’s Italian will be serving up meals at the WestQuay Watermark from next year after it was revealed he would be taking up an outlet at the flagship development.

Developers Hammerson have also confirmed the lineup of food outlets will include Bill’s Restaurant in another first for the city.

They join a raft of other restaurants that have already been revealed, including Wahaca, Five Guys, Zizzi’s and Nando’s and cinema operator Showcase Cinema De Lux in signing up to be part of the development, which is expected to be completed next year.

Jamie’s Italian, part of Oliver’s portfolio, will have a 5,100sq ft unit with the restaurant offering “rustic Italian food” and an outside seating terrace to overlook the public plaza. Jamie’s Italian has rapidly expanded throughout the UK and WestQuay Watermark will provide the restaurant with its first in Southampton.

The Essex-born chef who this week celebrated his 40th birthday, will be hoping for better fortunes in Southampton after his last foray into hampshire saw him close down his Union Jacks restaurant in Winchester, two years after opening.

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Last year Daily Echo reported that the company had decided to close its doors due to the “challenging” economic conditions.

Bill’s Restaurant will take a 3,100 sq ft unit at Watermark located on the lower promenade opening out onto the plaza.

It will offer a varied “breakfast to bedtime” menu featuring a wide range of dishes.

The firm’s managing director, Roberto Moretti, said: “It’s very exciting to be part of this new destination and to be opening a restaurant in Southampton, and we are looking forward to bringing great Bill’s food, atmosphere and service to the party.”

Construction of the development next to WestQuay, which will become a new city centre leisure and dining destination for Southampton, continues to make good progress according to Hammerson, with ground breaking and piling having started in March.

The multi-million pound development is on schedule to open in late 2016 and will create 1,300 jobs in the city, on top of more than 700 construction jobs that have been created during its development..

Watermark developer Hammerson’s head of restaurants and leisure, Sarah Fox, said the household name brands would be a big draw for the public.

She said: “Welcoming more new restaurants to Southampton is testament to the fantastic new leisure and dining hub we are bringing to the city and only strengthens the appeal that it will have for customers to enjoy the premier retail, leisure and dining destination in the area.”