UK celebrity chef Jamie Oliver toured Tel Aviv this week sampling the city’s culinary delights.

Accompanied by very large entourage including a film production team, the assumption is that Tel Aviv’s food scene will feature in a future TV show.

But although Oliver was happy to pose with local chefs, restaurant staff and passers-by who recognised him, he was tight-lipped about the reason he was in the country.

The Sultana vegan restaurant on Ibn Gbriol Street in Tel Aviv posted a picture of Oliver on its Facebook page on Tuesday eating its trademark vegan schwarma.

“Yes, the rumours are true,” the post said. “Chef Jamie Oliver has visited us for a TV show that will be aired later this year.

“He was charming and enjoyed the schwarma and the atmosphere, and that’s just about all we can say for the time being.”

Tel Aviv chef Jonathan Borowitz accompanied him around parts of the city.

He said: “Jamie Oliver toured the Carmel Market where he visited vegetarian stores and was excited about everything that he ate and he heard from me about the ‘farm to table’ social movement in Tel Aviv.”

Oliver was seen spending more than an hour at the Panda Pita pop-up stall in the Carmel Market, where he sampled vegetable-filled pitta street food.

Elsewhere in the market, he was also photographed at Arepita’s Town, a Venezuelan street food eatery, where he ate the Latin American dish arepas.

Though much of Oliver’s focus was on vegan food, at Arepita’s Town he ordered the signature dish, the definitely unkosher arepas stuffed with avocado, black beans, mincemeat and cheese.

Oliver and his production team will reportedly be spending a full week in Israel.