Marcos is riding the crest of a wave that started rolling 15 years ago, when he left his native South Africa for the United Kingdom. For his considerable achievement, he is selftaught, derived from a strong sense of self belief, that he was always “good enough”.
There were only two career options he ever considered in his life: being a chef or being a Formula One driver, for his is a love of speed. Fresh out of school he headed straight for the kitchen, where he kicked off his career in the old fashioned square one: as a dishwasher. Why did he choose food? “Because I feel most relaxed in a kitchen. I love it. I am also working with people who have the same passion as me. I don’t look at it as work”.

These days, now London-based, he has a formidable amount of experience to recommend him. As head chef of a luxury yatch moored on Monaco, he steeped himself in the summer flavours and ingredients of the Mediterranean, conjuring up 3-course meals for 15 guests and 10 crew members, 3 times a day. His background also has its rosy fingers dipped in Mediterranean pies - his father is Greek - and he has spent time cooking in both Spain and France, something, Georgiou maintains, that has given him the capacity to adapt to the food he is currently serving.
A typical day for Georgiou kicks off at 7.30 am and could just as easily end at 11pm, if he is working a double shift. His role is knowing exactly what the food at the restaurants under his care should be like and making sure this result is consistently achieved. This means that he does a lot of checking, training and teaching. Soft spoken and quietly confident, his CV is a litany of restaurant openings.

“Knowing how to do this (open a restaurant) is a strength” he admits, so is his characteristic stability and consistency. He would also put himself down as a good teacher. But we like him for his inspirational value: Georgiou seems to say "You too have the potential to conquer the world and make it as a top chef". His stint on the yatch left him much wiser in areas of stock purchasing, management, budgeting, quality control and menu planning – skills not lost on Oliver, who is willing to bet the reputation and success of his restaurant chain on him.
If we were to encapsulate Georgiou’s food style in one dish, it would have to gorgeous lamb, slow roasted with garlic, rosemary and oregano - the kind you would serve at a Sunday lunch (his favourite meal). It would come with a great selection of vegetables, Yorkshire pudding (why not?) and potatoes, roasted in duck fat (for the crispiest results by far). Marcos returns to South Africa once a year for a family visit. This year he compounded that with a guest appearance at the Cape Town leg of the Good Food and Wine Show, where he demonstrated some dishes from the menu of the clutch of Jamie’s Italian restaurants.

What is Jamie’s Italian all about?
Jamie’s Italian features the rustic Italian dishes with which Jamie Oliver has made a name for himself. His restaurants aim to strike a balance between casual pop-in relaxations of neighbourhood eateries (all are located on a high street) but that serve exceptionally good food that people can share while enjoying each others company. They are geared to be affordable, comfortable and accessible. No bookings are taken, customers simply arrive as it suits them.
The menu is driven by what you would find people eating ordinarily in Italy, with an emphasis on simplicity and freshness. Pasta will be handmade freshly each day, anti-pasti will be beautiful and abundant, there will be ripe red glossy tomatoes and creamy mozzarella and all will arrive in front of you immersed in the aroma of basil or garlic. Jamie’s Italian can be found in Kingston, Brighton, Oxford, Bath, Cardiff and Canary Wharf.

Visit www.jamieoliver.com/italian.