Being the UK’s best-known chef (and being second only to JK Rowling in UK book sales) comes with a liberal sprinkling of scrutiny and criticism, as Jamie Oliver knows only too well.
He is currently preparing for the comments that will inevitably follow the publication of his latest book and airing of the accompanying TV show – both of which ambitiously tell us how to make a home-cooked meal from fresh ingredients on the table from scratch in a mere 20 minutes.
“Honestly, that pace, that vibe, that energy is pretty much me Monday to Thursday when I’m cooking dinner at home – which I do most days and is literally what I’m going to do when I get home tonight,” Oliver tells us, on the drive back from his culinary empire’s north London HQ to the family pad in rural Essex.
Shorts
“Some of the negativity that I’ve got over the years is like: ‘Well, you’re a chef, of course you can do it,’ but on these shows, I’m cutting things badly on purpose, I’m squashing things, I’m bashing things and I’m not using technical equipment – there are no mandolines involved. I’m not rushing, I’m doing a bit of washing-up and hopefully, people feel like: ‘OK, I can do this.’ That’s the intention.”
