Jamie Oliver’s Custom ‘Chef’s Dream’ Discovery Debuts in L.A.
Bespoke Land Rover rolled into at the Smorgasburg weekly food market.
Helping to kick off the Smorgasburg L.A. holiday market, Land Rover debuted a custom Discovery from the mind of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver and the creative team at Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) department.
Oliver was chosen to be the “ultimate customer” since he’s a true Land Rover fan, and he pitched the idea of a kitchen-on-the-go, something that he says has always been a dream of his. He gave Land Rover’s SVO designers and engineers some crazy ideas and they turned them into reality, even adding a few touches of their own.
Features of the aptly-titled “Chef’s Dream” Land Rover Discovery include a rotisserie, slow cooker, armrest toaster, herb garden, spice rack, a pull-out workstation, overhead oil and vinegar dispensers, and even a TV for guests.
And to prove that this bespoke Discovery is fully functional, fellow celebrity chef Donal Skehan hosted a cooking demonstration with the help of chef Caroline Artiss (pictured), making Oliver’s Turkey Banh Mi sandwich.
If you’re a foodie and a car enthusiast, there’s a lot to love about this one-off ride. The best parts are the “mortar and piston” and the drive selector salt and pepper shaker (push and turn to “P” for pepper and “S” for salt).
The vinegar and oil dispensers pull down from the rear fifth door and are shaped like turn-signal stalks. The gas-fired ranges are the real deal, and their performance impressed even Skehan.
Plugged into the front grille of the Discovery is a spinning rotisserie, and the engine bay conceals a pop-up slow cooker. Both of these features draw their inspiration from the adventuring heritage of Land Rover — expeditioners used to wrap food in foil and place it in the engine bay to cook while they drove, and a winch mechanism actually powers the rotisserie’s rotation.
So, why did Land Rover decide to build a premium mobile kitchen inside a luxury SUV? The company’s goal was to do something fun to show off the versatility of the Discovery as an ultimate family car. Now, while you can’t exactly order the Jamie Oliver-spec’ed Discovery, the SVO team can help customers express their personality in unique ways with Land Rover’s premium British craftsmanship and design.
You can get a closer look at Jamie Oliver’s bespoke Land Rover Discovery as it begins its world tour on the car show circuit later this year, and in the meantime, check out our exclusive gallery of photos from the Smorgasburg L.A. event, below.
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