I don't mind if people like Jamie and Hugh get involved in campaigns to make things better for kid's health, animal welfare etc..
Having a "celeb" lead a campaign can be very beneficial - look what Joanna Lumley helped to achieve for the Ghurkas.

I thought so too... I actually thought it had made a difference to school meals here?

It has Saz, the dinners at my sons old primary school were really nice....and what's available at his secondary school is far better than it used to be...pasta, paninis etc. I was at a BBQ at the house of one of the producers from the American thing last year and he reckons Jamies motivations are very genuine and that he is a lovely bloke. I think he should be applauded for at least trying.

When I watched the UK one, I couldn't believe the crap they were feeding kids in schools... I'm pleased it seems to be getting better

But they did didn't they Wasn't it his School Dinners programme/campaign that prompted the national measures to improve school meals? 
http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/w.../schoolfoodanddrink/

Issy, from what i've read, the programme is about trying to inspire 16-18 yr olds who have left school with few qualifications and have disengaged from education  http://www.jamieoliver.com/new...nce-teens-to-his-dre
I'll reserve judgement until I've seen it, but on the face of it, doesn't seem a half bad idea to me

I think so as well.

Also what someone said earlier about a celeb leading a campaign is very beneficial. Whether we like it or not, this does work.  People do sit up and take notice, and THAT is the key thing.

that was what it was like when I was at school... a thousand yrs ago. .what happened to make it change to lazyitis?  Why can't people cook even the basics nowadays.. it's cheaper to buy lesser cuts of meats and make stews full of veg etc than buy a plastic meal..

don't get me wrong, I like the odd junk meal now and then [once every other month or so] but I couldn't live on them day in day out. .they make me feel sick once the craving is satisfied.. and leave me wondering why I craved the junk in the first place

I like Hugh Fernley W

So do I, Ferny.

Well i like Jamie's 30 min meals. 

 Cheers Yogi !
His River cottage is great - I love how he engages with the locals regards their fayres & traditions

I tend to miss that - CDWM finishes - I pop out for a wee & by the time I get back it's nearly finished

I'm with Antiope on the school dinners thing. And as for kids going out at lunchtime and buying crap from the local shops that should be dealt with as well. My sons school didn't allow kids out at lunchtime until they went to the upper school in year ten and they gave strict instructions about how much money kids should be bringing to school etc. They even had a scheme where parents would put a lump sum into their kids lunch account at the school at the beginning of term and the kids would 'buy' their food from that with the parents topping it up as needed. They were doing healthy food long before Jamie Oliver as we parents kicked off about the meals, myself included

As to this new show, I haven't watched it - if it's even started yet- but was disturbed to see that David Starkey was one of the people chosen.
Anyone who's ever seen this bigoted throwback of a Little Englander knows he's somewhere to the right of Hitler - not someone that should be allowed anywhere near young impressionable minds

Wow. How far away it your toilet!!!!

Slim 

I've been a fan since his "A Cook On The Wild Side" days and I love River Cottage. I signed up to his Chicken Out campaign, too.

me too

Depends if I go upstairs or down - but generally always get side tracked by an offspring or a chore

I followed one of his 30 min programmes, as i thought there was no way you could do all that in 30 mins, but i was proved wrong, so i was a bit impressed.

By me, not him. 

 Way ta go Eve !


I'll bet it was raw  very tasty too

I have some personal experience of the Jamie School dinners thing, I know the school in the NE involved really well (not my kids school)

He transformed lunch time there.  Instead of outside caterers they employed a proper chef, his meals have to be balanced (and they are lovely!) the school has a vege garden.  The kids now understand where food comes from.  Jamie's ideas were adopted wholesale by the Labour government, Turkey Twizlers are off the menu.

Though Jamie is very wealthy (nowt he's ever denied) he employs a huge amount of people, people who would not necessarily have had a chance.  From what I can gather his 15 foundation has been a massive success.  Aaron Craze is now employed by TV companies, he's a regular on Market Kitchen...his life was not heading in that direction at all.

I read the interview with Jamie in The Guardian the other week about his new school campaign.  I did not get the impression that he was trying to undermine schools, or Teachers.  His concerns seemed to lie with kids who were similar to him, kids with dyslexia and other specific learning needs.  He thinks (a lot of us do) that these kids need engaging with in a different way.  Not all children thrive in a traditional learning environment. Jamie was a kinesthetic learner and he wants to explore that option with other kids.

I am baffled how anyone could object to what he is doing or how he's going about it.  Yeah he gets a lot of publicity, if you hear him speak about that, or read about it he explains exactly why. He uses the publicity to help him do this stuff.

Genuinely baffled at some of the views here.  *scratches head*

"Turkey Twizlers are off the menu"




Boooooooooo

Me too (apart from justa's, as he was obviously an arse, that day) 


* wonders whether Jamie would consider starting a 'Bring Back the Nit Nurse' campaign * 

Ah Meaty, they were such a disappointment, came out of the oven all puffed up and looking promising and deflated before your eyes

Me too, and I don't care how much he uses olive oil and lemons

Infestation problems, Blizzie?

I do not have nits woman! (but now you've made me scratch again just thinking about them)

Me too Leccy, don't get the Jamie hate at all tbh

Not a massive fan of JO, but he has tried to do a difficult job with some success, nothing can ever be 100% successful and I wish him well in his latest venture

Me too.For a lot of children the school dinner is the only main meal they'll have,make it as nutritious as possible so if he helps to eradicate some of the junk food from schools good for him.

This latest campaign is aimed at 16+ year olds who have already left school with no or just a couple of GCSEs (as far as I'm aware) so these are young people who have already been failed by a traditional classroom set up.  If he can get them interested by doing more practical work and less theory...then spark an interest.  Who knows, some of them could return to education.  Much better than being a NEET!

Exactly Leccy....I put a link up earlier^^^ and I imagine that most half decent teachers with a passion for their subject/kids will welcome it if it generates some new ideas re ways to engage yp in learning

Sorry for appearing like I'm on a mad mission in this thread, but I just read back and saw this.  ANYONE can grow herbs, you only need a windowsill, we've all got one of those surely?

We have a little herb patch in our (tiny, teeny) little garden...but we've grown tomatoes, peppers and chillis on the windowsill.  It costs next to nothing, it costs nothing at all if you can nick a cutting from someone!

Didn't see the link Super, will go back and read it now.  I did read the interview in the paper last week but wasn't sure if I was remembering correctly.  Cheers.

The new show sounds like yet another channel 4 titillation show (in the disguise of 'education')
or channel 4 using their regular titillation ploy to get viewers.

What I don't get is that we expect our kids to get a good level of education at school. Does that end when the lunch bell rings? It's ok to worry about what's going into their heads but not their stomachs?

I say good on him for trying. He may fail but at least he tried and after seeing one of his shows in America and seeing how passionate and upset he got I don't doubt his motives for one second. I don't see how his money is a factor in all this. He's a father wanting to make things better for kids.

Not all kids are academic and to be honest neither was I. I excelled at creative subjects like art and drama but didn't do well at maths and history. I couldn't learn from people just telling me things. I needed visual aids....not books. From my experience of school most teachers of things like maths, geography etc were stuffy and boring. Art teachers etc were full of life and passionate about what they taught. We need more like that. Mind you how passionate can you get about maths? No need either when you're allowed calculators into class and will probably NEVER use most of what you learn in everyday life. If he can find a way of making classes fun AND educational I'm all for it

Exactly

I grow herbs in pots on the back door step.

I think the problem most of the time is people can't be bothered then moan when they have to buy it because of the cost. I have 5 pots so far and they must have cost me about £2 and I've gotten a good 6 months supply of herbs out of them so far

Haven't read this thread apart from the OP but I say good on JO for at least trying to make a difference.

issy.....(sorry i can't quote!)...........i get your point but alot of schools weren't like the one you went too...or were even like it for instance a few years ago.........potatoes for roast were fried........mash was instant......stuff like that......