Restaurants and cooking are in Jamie Oliver's blood. He grew up in the successful pub/restaurant owned and operated by his parents in Cambridge, England, and at just 8 years old, he was peeling potatoes and podding peas.
Jamie Oliver's Background
A fresh face in the culinary world, Jamie Oliver began work at the critically acclaimed River Cafe in London for three years. The morning after appearing on television as part of a documentary on the River Cafe, he was called upon by five of the top production companies in England. He decided to go with Optomen Television to produce the first series of the enormously successful Naked Chef. No, the chef's not naked—the food is. With his principle of stripping down recipes to their essentials, Jamie cooks for friends and family with maximum flavor and minimum effort. He has since gone on to produce Oliver's Twist, where he does what he loves most, cook for his mates, as well as multiple specials.
Chef Author
In addition to his TV shows in Britain and America, Jamie Oliver has written the bestselling The Naked Chef, The Naked ChefTakes Off, Happy Days and Jamie's Kitchen. He's also food editor for British GQ magazine, a columnist with the Saturday Times Magazine, and monthly food editor for Marie Claire magazine in the UK.
Cooking Live
In 2001, Jamie Oliver took his live cooking show on the road: His Happy Days Tour packed theaters in Cambridge, Bournemouth and London, as well as in seven cities in Australia and New Zealand. Jamie's cooking is even in demand by the British government: In 1999, he was invited to 10 Downing Street to prepare a lunch for British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who was entertaining the Italian prime minister.
Cooking for a Cause
Most recently Jamie opened a not-for-profit restaurant named Fifteen, with the goal of training young people that are unemployed to work in the kitchen and on the floor. The London restaurant has become a hit.
Jamie Oliver Cookware
Jamie also has his own line of stainless-steel cookware from T-Fal.
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