BRITISH TV chef Jamie Oliver struck gold creating his latest restaurant - when builders discovered treasure worth £1.1 million ($1.7 million) hidden in the basement.

Hundreds of safety deposit boxes dating back to 1935 were found at an old bank that the celebrity chef converted in Manchester, northwestern England.

Their owners could not be traced, so Bank of England officials used a drill to break open the boxes.

They found jewellery, gold and even master tapes by British bands Joy Division and New Order. The haul was sent to Britain's Treasury department.

A team of designers and architects began working on the restaurant, called Jamie's Italian, in March 2011. It opens later today (AEDT).

"It's going to be one of the jewels in the Jamie's Italian collection," the celebrity chef quipped.

See more at The Sun.

Originally published as Jamie finds treasure under restaurant