T
o say Jamie Oliver is busy is an
understatement. He starts early
and finishes late, spending his
days filming, writing and testing
recipes. It’s been 18 years since Jamie
made his debut TV series,The Naked
Chef, but his big grin and cheeky sense
of humour remain intact.
“I would love to have a 20-minute
power nap during the day! I haven’t
managed that one yet but I’m a massive
lover of a siesta when I go on holiday;
I think it’s really good for your health,”
Jamie insists.
Not only are his hands full at work,
the dad of five and his wife of 17 years,
Jools, 42, are flat out at their London
home with children Poppy, 15, Daisy,
14, Petal, 8, Buddy, 7, and River, 1 –
and they all lend a hand in the kitchen.
“All my kids get involved in cooking
at home – growing, picking or shopping- they love it. I get them preparing
salads and making dressings and I just
boss them around a bit; I just like cheap
labour!” he jokes. “I try to get the most
out of my kids while they’re around.”
Andit’sthisnotionoffamilyfun - getting in the kitchen and making
a meal to share – that inspired the
enthusiastic chef ’s latest book,
5 Ingredients – Quick & Easy Food,
which is packed with delicious dishes
that all require only
five ingredients.
“I think preparing
a meal together and
then sitting down to
eat it is more important
than ever these days,
with the digital
revolution that’s
happening right in front
of our very eyes,” Jamie
earnestly explains.
While he recognises that these
technological advancements aren’tall
bad, especially in terms of being able
to reach his audience and get real-time
feedback on what they want, Jamie also
knows there’s a fine line.
“I’m not painting a picture that it’s
feasible to do these things every day
because I know life gets busy. But even
once a week
would be joyous
to get the family
around the table
and have a bit of
banter, without
your mobile phon
and be present in
moment,” he says.
Food has alway
a central part in the chef ’s life, so he’s
well aware of the value of connecting
with others over a meal.
“As a person who travels around the
world, I’ve been able to learn so much
about countries without even speaking
their language, purely and only
through food – and how it brings
people together,” Jamie explains.
And he hopes to pass that worldly
view onto his children.
“I want my kids to grow
up with an understanding
that most of what they’re
seeing online isn’t real;
people don’t look like that
in real life, they don’t
necessarily do everything
you see – we’re the first
generation of parents who
are trying to work out
what’s going on with technology. My
kids are pretty well-balanced, but I’m
trying to work out what we did right
–Istilldon’t know!”
Culinary wizardry may seem to come
naturally to the down-to-earth dad,
but Jamie reckons that out of all his
bestselling cookbooks and top-rating
television shows there’s only one secret
to his success.e done nothing
s in the last 20 years,
thing I’ve done is
r. It’s all obvious
tening to what the
audience wants. So the secret ingredient
is you – the audience,” he says.
Jamie knows the aim of the game
is to create recipes that make regular
people’s lives that bit easier.
“Convenience doesn’t always have
to be bad, it’s more about trying to
get people cooking while keeping it
humble,” he explains.
For the last two weeks, Jools has been
whipping up dishes at home from his
new cookbook and they’ve already
become family favourites.
“I’m getting great feedback from
Jools so I must be doing something
right,” he says with a laugh.
He’s obviously a firm fan of healthy,
home-cooked meals, but if Jamie had
to order takeaway he says he’d opt for
something that transports well.
“Indian or Asian would be my pick- because not all good food travels
well,” he says.
Jamie still attracts his fair share
of admirers, with piles of mail arriving
for him and his team every day.
“We’re so lucky because we have the
privilege of sitting in people’s homes
on their bookshelf, and we’re part of
the fabric of their home life,” he says.
“I take that role very seriously.”•
YOUNG LOVE
Jools and
Jamie 22
years agoRETRO REWIND
Jamie launching
a cooking video
(VHS!) in 2000OLIVER BRANCH
Daisy, Jools, Buddy,
Jamie, River, Poppy
and Petal‘Preparing a
meal together
and then
sitting down to
eat it is more
important
than ever’Turn the page
TEXT: MARKEETA WADDINGTON PICTURES: REX FEATURES, GETTY IMAGES, COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM