What five ingredients do you think every student should have in their kitchen cupboard? Salt, olive oil, lemons, a herb box with thyme, rosemary, basil, sage, mint and oregano, and last, but not least, garlic. When was the last time someone cooked for you and was it any good? Gordon Ramsay and it was great. I had white bean soup and loads of truffle dishes. What’s the worst thing you’ve ever eaten and where? Cod semen and sushimi of squid in Japan. What are your favourite vices? Rude and dirty jokes and swearing. If you weren’t a chef, what would you be doing? Definitely something with my hands; maybe I’d be a carpenter. What benefits do you think fame has brought you? The ability to do good things in the world. I’ve been able to set up Fifteen and work with kids, and next year I’m hitting school canteens in deprived wanker areas and showing them to improve their food. It should be a great project. Fame obviously means you can afford to set things up and live the dream, but it’s not as important as you imagine. Why do you think the students at Fifteenhave thrived under your guidance when they clearly struggled in formal education? A lot of love, not in a cheesy way, but in a supportive, fun atmosphere. Without exception I don’t want my students to be anything other than better then me and I believe with guidance and hard work they will be. Getting into television so early on in my life has meant that I can’t do a lot of things, like pack a bag and go travelling, but through them I can relive the excitement as they fulfil their dreams. I love it. Where do you see the charity in ten years time? The bigger picture is really exciting. Hopefully there will be restaurants in three different countries: London, New York and Melbourne. By then 3000 people will have gone through the course and have become qualified chefs. But most importantly, they will be mature chefs cooking in their own kitchens and as Fifteen is nonprofit I hope to be able to give them money towards setting up places of their own. And lastly, Jamie Oliver never leaves the house without… My credit card, mobile phone and leather man.ARCHIVE: 0th Week MT2003
