Jamie Oliver – Cheeky Chappie and School Kids Hero

Jamie Oliver was born in May 1975, and grew up in Clavering, Essex, where his parents owned a pub-restaurant, The Cricketers. From an early age, Oliver helped in the pub kitchen; by the time he was 11, he was adept at vegetable prep and could chop “like a demon”. In 1989, Oliver formed the band Scarlet Division with best friend Leigh Haggerwood, and dreamed of pop stardom. However, by age 16, Oliver knew he wanted to be a chef, so he attended Westminster Catering College and then studied in France, learning as much as he could, before returning to London to work as head pastry chef for Antonio Carluccio at The Neal Street Restaurant. After The Neal Street Restaurant, Oliver worked for Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers at the River Café for three and a half years; Oliver credits Gray and Rogers with teaching him to create the fresh, simple, delicious food which would become his signature.

It was at the River Café that Oliver debuted in front of a TV camera. A television documentary about the restaurant was being filmed; Oliver’s personality caught the attention of editors and he was featured prominently in the finished product. The day after the programme aired, Oliver was contacted by multiple production companies wanting to discuss a possible show of his own.

The result was “The Naked Chef”, a cooking programme. Two highly successful seasons of “The Naked Chef” were filmed in 1998 and 1999. The popular series brought Oliver worldwide fame, and more television programmes and book deals followed. As of 2006, Oliver had six additional television series and eight books under his belt.