(No) Sugar Daddy

Born and raised in Clavering, UK, James Trevor “Jamie” Oliver, began his passion for cooking at his parents’ pub, The Cricketers and now owns a chain of the famous “Jamie’s Italian” restaurants across the globe. L’Officiel India talks exclusively to the British born on his challenges with dyslexia over the years, his experience at cooking for Tony Blair (twice), having won the MBE and his efforts at promoting the sugar tax to eliminate obesity amongst the young generation.

1. You practiced cooking in the kitchen of your parent’s pub/restaurant, where and when did this interest in culinary begin?

L’Officiel India DigitalRead L’Officiel India in the digital libraryEvery issue and every cover story, on TCG Media.Read now

I’d say it started from the age of about seven or eight. Growing up in the pub with all the great smells and tastes, I couldn’t help but be drawn into it. As soon as I was old enough, my dad let me help out in the kitchen, just washing up or peeling veggies, and before long I was almost a member of the team, doing roasts and all sorts.

Your first job as a pastry chef at Antonio Carluccio’s to then as a sous chef at The River Café in Fulham, how important were these experiences to make you a world renowned restaurateur and celebrity chef that you are today?

The Neal Street Restaurant with Antonio was hugely important because that’s where I met Gennaro Contaldo, my mentor and my great friend to this day. When I left Westminster Catering College, all I wanted to do was make fantastic pasta and so a fellow graduate told me I needed to learn from Gennaro. I ended up getting a job on the pastry section, which meant I never got to meet Gennaro – my shift would finish at about 12 midnight and Gennaro wouldn’t come in until 2am to start making the bread. So what I used to do, before I left for the night, was to flour his baking trays so that he didn’t have to do it, and I would write him little messages in the flour. Eventually his curiosity got the better of him and he asked me to come in early and help him. The River Café was really just the best further education you can have in Italian cooking because Rose and Ruth were so amazingly supportive and passionate about every aspect of Italian food and cooking.

In 1999, you were invited to prepare lunch for the PM Tony Blair at 10 Downing Street, describe that experience; the menu, preparations and the response?

I cooked for the PM twice at Downing Street, the second time with graduates from the Fifteen restaurant, and both times it was a fantastic experience. Although, the main thing I remember is how small the kitchen was, so you really have your work cut out to get everyone organised in such a tiny space.

In 2003, you received an MBE, how did it feel?

It was brilliant. It’s the sort of day that you dream about. My mum was so proud. The British press had a moan at me for not wearing a tie, but I’d phoned the Palace beforehand to ask about a dress code, and I was told that Her Majesty would be happy for me to wear whatever I felt comfortable in.

You have always been involved in campaigns directed towards children/families eating healthy, how important are these movements?

They’re hugely important because we’re talking about the future of the world’s population. If you look ahead 20-30 years, it doesn’t look pretty. 
Rising levels of obesity, more diet-related disease, more amputations through type-2 diabetes, health services under more and more strain... I could go on. And all of this is avoidable if we just take key measures to help people to make better choices. That means better food education, reformulation of products, tighter rules on marketing unhealthy foods to kids, and a sugar tax, which has worked well in Mexico amongst other places.

How important is learning to eat healthy from a young age, for the long run?

If you talk to any expert, healthy eating starts early – in the womb, really. But also what we feed babies will form the basis of their tastes for their whole lives. If we feed them loads of sugar, then that’s not going to end well – I’ve even seen toddlers drinking cola from a baby bottle! If we feed babies a good mixture of vegetables, fish and other nutritious foods, then that’s going to be a huge benefit.

You are recently campaigning towards a sugar tax to help prevent millions of obesity cases in the UK, tell us about that.

The sugar tax is something that I believe could really help to move the dial when it comes to diet-related disease, so long as the money raised is ring-fenced to go to food education and also the health service to help treat people with diet-related problems like type-2 diabetes. I’ve started my own levy on sugary-sweetened drinks in my restaurants in the UK, and many other restaurant groups have joined in. So far, customers really love what we’re doing and totally get the need to raise money for good. I know that people rarely like taxes, but I think the majority of the public is behind legislation for a tax, which actually helps to solve a massive problem.

Your restaurant in Westland Place in London, trains young adults who have a disadvantaged background for careers in the restaurant business, the idea behind such a brave and inspiring initiative?

I started Fifteen in 2002, when I was still in my 20s. I’d had a lot of success with The Naked Chef and had money in the bank, so I really just wanted to do something good to give something back to the catering industry. It’s been a bit of a rocky road at times, but we’re still going 15 years on – we’re still training and still feeding customers fantastic food.

How did you overcome the criticism for having dyslexia during your school days? What was your “drive” to become who you are today?

I wasn’t really criticised. I just didn’t really do well in school because they didn’t know I was dyslexic. They put me in a special class and so some of the kids used to call me “special needs”. It wasn’t bullying because they were kids who liked me. I don’t think it was my drive, to be honest – I just love what I do, and I love moving things forward and trying different things. I always have done.

Your chain of restaurants around the world including in India, Jamie’s Italian, how do you cope with the various taste buds that each country is known 
for?

I think Italian food has a universal appeal, just like the many different types of Indian food, which I love. With Jamie’s Italian, the menu doesn’t really change wherever you are in the world, except that it’s important to work with great local produce where you have it.

If you could choose one Indian dish to recreate it in your own healthy manner, which one would it be and how would you create it?

It’s impossible to choose just one because of the sheer fantastic range of dishes from all over India, but in my Everyday Super Food book for example, I’ve done a spicy chicken with cauliflower rice, which you could say is a healthier version.

You have been nominated for the most stylish men 2016, how does it feel?

I didn’t know I had. That’s a great honour.

Are you fashion savvy? What makes a man stylish?

I’ve become more fashion conscious over the years. I have my own favourite designers now, and I make an effort more often.