EA teams up with Jamie Oliver

TV chef and social crusader Jamie Oliver is to lend his name and likeness to Playfish Facebook game Restaurant City.

The deal with the EA-owned developer will "offer players fun ways to engage with Jamie Oliver’s brand and share in his excitement and passion for inspiring people to cook using fresh ingredients".

Restaurant City currently boasts around 6m players a month. Jamie Oliver branded virtual items are already available in-game. For four weeks the game will feature a recipe of the week from the TV star.

I’m really excited that some of my recipes are becoming part of Restaurant City as it’s such a phenomenon,” Jamie himself stated.

I’m always interested in new social media and I hope that by creating my recipes in the virtual world, the Restaurant City community will be inspired to try making them for real.”

Playfish GM and co-founder Kristian Segerstrale added: Restaurant City and Jamie Oliver both celebrate the love of cuisine, inspire creative self expression and bring people together through a common bond – a fun and playful approach to enjoying food.

Millions of Restaurant City players now have a fun and unique opportunity to engage with one of the world’s best loved celebrity chefs and bring their culinary creations to life from their online restaurant kitchens to their real world home kitchens.”