Jamie Oliver facts for kids
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Oliver in 2014
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| Born | Jamie Trevor Oliver 27 May 1975 Clavering, Essex, England |
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| Cooking style | |
| Education | Westminster Kingsway College |
| Spouse |
Juliette Norton
(m. 2000) |
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Current restaurant(s)
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Jamie Trevor Oliver is a famous English chef, restaurant owner, and cookbook author. He was born on May 27, 1975. He is known for his easy and fun way of cooking. This style has led him to star in many TV shows and open several restaurants.
Jamie Oliver became well-known when his TV show The Naked Chef started in 1999. In 2005, he began a campaign called "Feed Me Better." This campaign aimed to help schoolchildren eat healthier foods. The government later supported his efforts. He also owned a group of restaurants called Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group. The first one, Jamie's Italian, opened in Oxford in 2008. Sadly, the restaurant chain faced financial problems in May 2019.
In 2010, his TED Talk won him a special award called the TED Prize. In June 2003, Jamie Oliver was given an award called MBE. This was for his great work in the food and hospitality industry.
Early Life and Education
Jamie Oliver grew up in a village called Clavering in Essex, England. His parents, Trevor and Sally Oliver, ran a pub and restaurant called The Cricketers. Jamie learned to cook in their kitchen from a young age. He has one sister, Anne-Marie. He went to Newport Free Grammar School.
He left school at 16 with two qualifications in Art and Geology. He then went to Westminster Technical College, which is now Westminster Kingsway College. There, he earned a cooking qualification called a City & Guilds National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) in home economics.
Cooking Career Highlights
Jamie Oliver's first job was making pastries at Antonio Carluccio's restaurant. There, he learned about Italian cuisine and became friends with his mentor, Gennaro Contaldo. Later, Jamie hired Gennaro to help with his Jamie's Italian restaurants. Jamie then worked as a sous-chef at The River Café. The BBC noticed him in 1997 when he appeared in a documentary about the restaurant.
In 1999, his BBC show The Naked Chef first aired. His cookbook from the show became a bestseller in the UK. That same year, he was asked to cook lunch for the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, at 10 Downing Street.
After three successful Naked Chef TV series, Jamie moved to Channel 4. His first series there was Jamie's Kitchen. This show followed him as he set up his Fifteen restaurant in London. This restaurant trained young adults from difficult backgrounds to work in the restaurant business. It helped many young people until it closed in May 2019.
In June 2003, Jamie Oliver received an MBE award. This was for his important contributions to the food industry.
Healthy Food Campaigns
In 2005, Jamie Oliver started a campaign called "Feed Me Better." He wanted to improve the food served in British schools. He aimed to get rid of junk food and introduce healthier options. Because of his efforts, the British government promised to spend money on school dinners. People voted him the "Most Inspiring Political Figure of 2005" in a poll.
He continued to promote healthy cooking with his show Jamie's Ministry of Food. In this series, Jamie traveled to Rotherham, Yorkshire. He wanted to inspire everyday people to cook healthy meals. Another TV series, Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution (2010–11), saw him travel to America. He went to places like Huntington, West Virginia and Los Angeles to encourage Americans to eat better. He wanted them to rely less on fast food.
Jamie Oliver has also been very successful with his cookbooks. He is the second-best-selling British author, after J. K. Rowling. He is the best-selling British non-fiction author ever. By February 2019, he had sold over 14.55 million books.
Restaurant Ventures
In June 2008, Jamie Oliver opened his first high street restaurant, Jamie's Italian, in Oxford, England. At its busiest, there were 42 Jamie's Italian restaurants in the UK. The brand also had restaurants in other countries around the world.
However, the restaurant group faced financial difficulties. In January 2017, six UK restaurants had to close. In January 2018, more restaurants closed as part of a plan to manage debts.
In 2009, Jamie also opened a chain of cooking schools and delis called Recipease. These stores closed by the end of 2015.
In 2011, Jamie started Barbecoa, a barbecue restaurant, with his friend Adam Perry Lang. There were two locations in London. One of them temporarily closed in 2014 after hygiene inspectors found problems. In February 2018, Barbecoa Ltd faced financial difficulties.
On May 21, 2019, most of Jamie Oliver's UK restaurants closed down. This meant 22 out of 25 restaurants shut, and about 1,000 jobs were lost. However, some Jamie's Italian restaurants and the Jamie Oliver's Diner at Gatwick Airport continued to operate. Restaurants in other countries, run by different companies, were not affected.
In November 2023, Jamie Oliver opened a new restaurant in London. This was his first new restaurant since his chain closed. In March 2024, he opened Jamie's Italian Belgrade in Serbia.
Advertising and Partnerships
From 2000 to 2011, Jamie Oliver was the face of the Sainsbury's supermarket chain in the UK. He appeared in their TV and radio ads. He also promotes cooking tools for Tefal.
In 2013, he partnered with Canadian supermarket chain Sobeys and Australian chain Woolworths Supermarkets. These partnerships aimed to improve nutrition and promote healthy eating. In 2016, he teamed up with HelloFresh, a meal kit delivery service. He created recipes for their weekly deliveries. In 2018, he also worked with Tesco to create recipes and promote their food products.
Charity Work and Campaigns
Jamie Oliver created the Fifteen charity restaurant. This restaurant trained young people who had not had good opportunities to work in the food industry. After the success of the first Fifteen in London, more opened in Amsterdam, Cornwall, and Melbourne.
Jamie also led a big campaign to ban unhealthy food in British schools. He wanted children to eat nutritious food instead. His efforts, shown in the series Jamie's School Dinners, changed the types of food served in schools. He showed that schools could serve healthy, affordable meals that kids would enjoy.
In December 2009, Jamie Oliver received the 2010 TED Prize. This was for his campaigns to make changes in people's lives and at a government level. He wanted to highlight the changes needed in diets and lifestyles. In 2010, he joined other chefs for The Big Fish Fight. This series raised awareness about wasting fish caught by fishermen. He also supports the environmental charity Trees for Cities.
In April 2022, he helped organize a charity dinner in London. This event, called #CookForUkraine, raised money for people affected by the conflict in Ukraine.
Awards and Honours
On May 13, 2001, Jamie Oliver's series The Naked Chef won a BAFTA award for Best Feature.
In June 2003, he was awarded the MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours.
On August 21, 2010, Jamie Oliver won an Emmy for Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. This series focused on solving the problem of childhood obesity in America.
In 2013, he received an Honorary Fellowship from the Royal College of General Practitioners. This was for his work in fighting childhood obesity by making school dinners better.
In 2019, Oliver was awarded the Order of the Star of Italy. This is a special Italian award.
Personal Life
In July 2000, Jamie Oliver married Juliette Norton, who is known as "Jools." They have five children together.
Jamie Oliver has severe dyslexia, which means he finds reading and writing difficult. He read his first full novel, Catching Fire, when he was 38 years old.
In 2019, Jamie and his family moved into Spains Hall. This is a large, old mansion in Finchingfield, Essex. The property includes a big estate with a farmhouse, lodge, swimming pool, and tennis court.
Television Shows
| Year | Programme | Running time | Description/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999–2001 | The Naked Chef | 3 series 6+8+8 episodes (~29 min.) + 3 Christmas specials (~29 min.) |
Jamie's first TV show. It ran for three series and three Christmas specials. The name "Naked Chef" meant his recipes were simple, not that he was actually naked! |
| Pukka Tukka | A special show for Channel 4 in 2000. | ||
| 2002 | Oliver's Twist | 2 series 26+26 episodes (~23 min.) |
After The Naked Chef, Jamie made 52 episodes of this new show. He invited friends and family over for food and explored London's markets. |
| Jamie's Kitchen | 5 episodes (~48 min.) |
This documentary series followed Jamie as he trained young people who had faced challenges. They would get jobs at his new "Fifteen" restaurant. | |
| 2003 | Return to Jamie's Kitchen | 2 episodes (~48 min.) |
A follow-up to Jamie's Kitchen, checking in on how the trainees at "Fifteen" were doing. |
| 2005 | Jamie's School Dinners | 4 episodes (~48 min.) |
Jamie took over the school meals at Kidbrooke School. He was shocked by the unhealthy food and started a campaign to improve school dinners across Britain. |
| Jamie's Great Italian Escape | 6 episodes (~24 min.) |
Jamie traveled around Italy in a blue VW van, rediscovering his love for cooking before his 30th birthday. | |
| 2006 | Jamie's Kitchen Australia | An Australian TV show based on the original Jamie's Kitchen idea. | |
| Jamie's Christmas | A DVD film with Jamie's Christmas recipes. | ||
| 2007 | Jamie's Chef | 4 episodes (~48 min.) |
This series continued from Jamie's Kitchen. It aimed to help a winning trainee open their own restaurant. |
| Jamie's Return to School Dinners | 1 episode (~60 min.) |
A special show revisiting schools from the earlier series and looking at how rural schools manage healthy meals. | |
| Jamie at Home | 2 series 13+13 episodes (~26 min.) |
Jamie shared home-style recipes and gardening tips, often using ingredients from his own garden. | |
| Jamie at Home - Christmas Special | 1 episode (~48 min.) |
A special Christmas episode of Jamie at Home. | |
| 2008 | Jamie's Fowl Dinners | ~75 minutes | Jamie supported a campaign to encourage people in Britain to eat free range chickens. |
| Jamie's Ministry of Food | 4 episodes (~47 min.) |
Jamie tried to teach people in Rotherham how to cook fresh food and eat healthily. | |
| Eat to Save Your Life | ~75 minutes | Jamie used demonstrations to show the dangers of unhealthy eating. | |
| Jamie Cooks... Christmas | 1 episode (~48 min.) |
Jamie shared recipes for celebrating Christmas on a budget. | |
| What's Cooking? with Jamie Oliver | A video game about cooking with Jamie Oliver. | ||
| 2009 | Jamie Saves Our Bacon | ~75 minutes | Jamie looked at pig farming in the UK and EU as part of a British Food Fight Season. |
| Jamie's American Road Trip | 6 episodes (~48 min.) |
Jamie traveled across the US, learning from local cooks and trying new recipes. | |
| Jamie's Family Christmas | 5 episodes (~48 min.) |
A short series where Jamie cooked Christmas dishes with his family. | |
| 2010–2011 | Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution | 2 series 6+6 episodes (~44 min.) |
Jamie visited American cities to try and improve people's eating habits and change school meals. |
| 2010 | Jamie's 30-Minute Meals | 40 episodes (~24 min.) |
This series focused on making delicious home-cooked meals in just 30 minutes. |
| Jamie's Best Ever Christmas | 2 episodes (~47 min.) |
A two-part Christmas special. | |
| Jamie's Christmas Lock-in | 1 episode (~47 min.) |
Jamie invited celebrity guests, family, and friends for a Christmas party with music and food. | |
| 2011 | Jamie Does... | 6 episodes (~48 min.) |
Jamie traveled across Europe and North Africa, cooking local dishes. |
| Jamie's Dream School | 7 episodes (~43 min.) |
This series looked at young people's education problems. It had famous people trying to teach in a classroom setting. | |
| Jamie's Fish Suppers | 10 episodes (~4 min.) |
Jamie cooked 10 fish recipes as part of the Big Fish Fight campaign. | |
| Jamie Cooks Summer | 1 episode (~47 min.) |
A TV special where Jamie cooked summer dishes outdoors. | |
| Jamie's Great Britain | 6 episodes (~47 min.) |
Jamie traveled around Britain to find new recipe ideas and explore British food. | |
| Jamie's Christmas with Bells On | 2 episodes (~47 min.) |
A two-part Christmas special filmed at Jamie's home with family and friends. | |
| 2012 | Jamie's 15-Minute Meals | 40 episodes (~24 min.) |
Following his 30-minute meals, this series showed how to make fresh meals in just 15 minutes. |
| Jamie & Jimmy's Food Fight Club | 4 episodes (~48 min.) |
Jamie and his childhood friend Jimmy Doherty made feasts and had "food fights" with other countries' foods. | |
| 2013 | Dream School USA | The US version of Jamie's Dream School, with actor David Arquette. | |
| Jamie's Money Saving Meals / Save with Jamie | 2 series 6+6 episodes (~48 min.) |
This series helped people save money while cooking delicious food with fresh ingredients. | |
| 2014 - | Jamie & Jimmy's Friday Night Feast | 8 series 60 episodes (~47 min.) |
Jamie and Jimmy made feasts and championed "lost" British classic foods. Each episode featured a different celebrity guest. |
| 2014 | Jamie's Comfort Food | 8 episodes (~24 min.) or 6 episodes (~47 min.) in some regions |
A series teaching how to make rich, fun, and delicious comfort food for groups. |
| Jamie's Cracking Christmas | 1 episode (~47 min.) |
A Christmas special with recipes like roast goose and festive cocktails. | |
| 2015 | Jamie's Super Food | 2 series 7+8 episodes (~24 min.) |
This series focused on healthy, nutritious food. Jamie traveled to healthy places to learn their secrets for living longer. |
| Jamie's Sugar Rush | 1 episode (~47 min.) |
A documentary looking at the amount of sugar in products and why it's a concern. | |
| Jamie's Night Before Christmas | 1 episode (~46 min.) |
Jamie presented his classic and new favorite festive recipes. | |
| 2016 | Jamie's Super Food Family Classics | 6 episodes (~44 min.) |
This series taught how to make healthy and delicious "classic" family meals. |
| Jamie Oliver's Christmas Cookbook | 1 episode (~47 min.) |
Jamie shared his ultimate Christmas recipes, based on his cookbook. | |
| 2017-2020 | Jamie's Quick & Easy Food | 4 series 26 episodes (23-28 min.) |
This series showed how to cook great food quickly and easily using just five main ingredients. |
| 2017 | Jamie's Italian Christmas | 1 episode (~47 min.) |
A Christmas special where Jamie made an Italian-inspired Christmas feast. |
| 2018 | Jamie Cooks Italy | 8 episodes (~24 min. 45-48 min. in some regions) |
Jamie and his mentor, Gennaro, toured Italy, cooking traditional dishes and meeting locals. |
| Jamie's Quick & Easy Christmas | 1 episode (~48 min.) |
Jamie applied his quick and easy cooking principles to Christmas meals. | |
| 2019 | Jamie's Meat-Free Meals / Jamie's Ultimate Veg | 8 episodes (~23 min.) or 6 episodes (~45 min.) in some regions |
Jamie encouraged people to eat less meat and try more delicious vegetable dishes. |
| Jamie's Easy Christmas Countdown | 1 episode (~47 min.) |
A Christmas special shown on Channel 4. | |
| Jamie and Jimmy's Festive Feast | 1 episode (~47 min.) |
A Christmas special of Jamie & Jimmy's Friday Night Feast with guest Taron Egerton. | |
| 2020 | Jamie: Keep Cooking and Carry On | 20 episodes (~23 min.) |
Jamie prepared food with limited ingredients for people staying at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| Jamie: Keep Cooking Family Favourites / Jamie's Easy Meals For Every Day | 2 series 8+10 episodes (~23 min.) |
This series showed how to cook simple, affordable, and delicious meals using common ingredients. | |
| Jamie: Keep Cooking at Christmas | 2 episodes (~47 min.) |
A two-part Christmas special shown on Channel 4. | |
| Jamie and Jimmy's Festive Feast | 1 episode (~47 min.) |
A Christmas special of Jamie & Jimmy's Friday Night Feast with guests Joe Wicks and Sam Smith. | |
| 2021 | Jamie Oliver: Together | 6 episodes (~47 min.) |
Jamie shared menus for meals to enjoy with loved ones after lockdowns. |
| Jamie: Together At Christmas | 2 episodes (~47 min.) |
A two-part Christmas special. | |
| Selena + Chef | Jamie appeared as a celebrity chef in one episode. | ||
| 2022 | The Great Cookbook Challenge With Jamie Oliver | 7 episodes (~47 min.) |
A seven-part series. |
| Jamie's One-Pan Wonders | 8 episodes (~23 min.) |
Jamie introduced recipes for meals cooked using just one pan. | |
| Jamie's £1 Wonders | Original one-off (~47 min.) |
A special show about cooking meals for around £1. | |
| Jamie's Easy Christmas | 2 episodes (~47 min.) |
A two-part Christmas special. | |
| 2023 | Jamie's £1 Wonders / Jamie Oliver: Cooking For Less | 6 episodes (~47 min.) | A series about cooking delicious food while saving money. |
| Jamie Cooks The Mediterranean | 4 episodes (~47 min.) |
Jamie explored and cooked Mediterranean dishes. | |
| Jamie's Five Ingredient Meals | 4 episodes (~47 min.) |
A series focusing on meals made with just five ingredients. | |
| Jamie’s Christmas Shortcuts | 2 episodes (~47 min.) |
A two-part series showing quick ways to prepare Christmas food. | |
| 2024 | Jamie’s Air-Fryer Meals | 2 episodes (~47 min.) |
A series featuring meals cooked in an air fryer. |
| Jamie Cooks Spring | 3 episodes (~47 min.) |
The first series in Jamie's "cook the seasons" quest, featuring spring ingredients. | |
| Jamie: What to Eat this Week | 3 episodes (~47 min.) |
The second series featuring dishes made with seasonal ingredients. | |
| Jamie: What to Eat this Week: Autumn | 3 episodes (~47 min.) |
A series featuring dishes made with Autumn ingredients. | |
| Jamie: Fast and Simple | 5 episodes (~47 min.) |
A series featuring tasty quick meals. | |
| Jamie Cooks Christmas | 2 episodes (~47 min.) |
A two-part festive cooking series. |
Other Media Appearances
Jamie Oliver has also appeared on other TV shows. He was a guest host on Channel 4's The Friday Night Project. He also appeared twice on BBC Two's Top Gear in the "Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car" segment.
In 2008, he was a challenger on Iron Chef America, where he competed against Iron Chef Mario Batali. He also was a judge on Oprah's Big Give hosted by Oprah Winfrey.
In 2006, Jamie went on an Australian tour, performing live shows in Sydney and Melbourne. These shows included special guests like his mentor Gennaro Contaldo. A TV documentary called Jamie Oliver: Australian Diary covered these shows.
On December 27, 2022, Jamie Oliver was a guest editor for the Today Programme on BBC Radio 4.
Books
- The Naked Chef (Michael Joseph, 1999) ISBN: 9780718143602
- The Return of the Naked Chef (Michael Joseph, 2000) ISBN: 9780718144395
- Happy Days with the Naked Chef (Michael Joseph, 2001) ISBN: 9780718144845
- Jamie's Kitchen (Michael Joseph, 2002) ISBN: 9780718145644
- Funky Food for Comic Relief (Penguin, 2003) ISBN: 9780141014074
- Jamie's Dinners (Michael Joseph, 2004) ISBN: 9780718146863
- Jamie's Italy (Michael Joseph, 2005) ISBN: 9780718147709
- Something for the Weekend (Penguin, 2005) ISBN: 9780141022581
- Cook with Jamie: My Guide to Making You a Better Cook (Michael Joseph, 2006) ISBN: 9780718147716
- Jamie's Little Book of Big Treats (Penguin, 2007) ISBN: 9780141031460
- Jamie at Home: Cook Your Way to the Good Life (Michael Joseph, 2007) ISBN: 9780718152437
- Jamie's Ministry of Food: Anyone Can Learn to Cook in 24 Hours (Michael Joseph, 2008) ISBN: 9780718148621
- Published in the United States as Jamie's Food Revolution: Rediscover How to Cook Simple, Delicious, Affordable Meals (Hachette, 2008) ISBN: 9781401323592
- Jamie's Red Nose Recipes (Penguin, 2009) ISBN: 9780141041780
- Jamie's America (Michael Joseph, 2009) ISBN: 9780718154769
- Jamie does...Spain, Italy, Sweden, Morocco, Greece, France (Michael Joseph, 2010) ISBN: 9780718158545
- Jamie's 30-Minute Meals (Michael Joseph, 2010) ISBN: 9780718157678
- Jamie's Great Britain (Michael Joseph, 2011) ISBN: 9780718156817
- Jamie's Monster Bake Sale (Penguin, 2011) ISBN: 9780241954256
- Jamie's 15-Minute Meals (Michael Joseph, 2012) ISBN: 9780718157807
- Save with Jamie (Michael Joseph, 2013) ISBN: 9780718158149
- Jamie's Comfort Food (Michael Joseph, 2014) ISBN: 9780718159535
- Everyday Super Food (Michael Joseph, 2015) ISBN: 9780718181239
- Super Food Family Classics (Michael Joseph, 2016) ISBN: 9780718178444
- Jamie Oliver's Christmas Cookbook (Michael Joseph, 2016) ISBN: 9780718183653
- 5 Ingredients – Quick & Easy Food (Michael Joseph, 2017) ISBN: 9780718187729
- Jamie Cooks Italy (Michael Joseph, 2018) ISBN: 9780718187736
- Jamie's Friday Night Feast Cookbook (Michael Joseph, 2018) ISBN: 9780241371442
- Veg: Easy & Delicious Meals for Everyone (Michael Joseph, 2019) ISBN: 9780718187767
- 7 Ways (Michael Joseph, 2020) ISBN: 9780241431153
- Together (Michael Joseph, 2021) ISBN: 978-0241431177
- One: Simple One-Pan Wonders (Michael Joseph, 2022) ISBN: 978-0241431108
- 5 Ingredients Mediterranean (Michael Joseph, 2023) ISBN: 978-0241431160
- Simply Jamie (Penguin, 2024) ISBN: 978-0241657805
- Easy Air Fryer: Big & Bold Delicious Food (Michael Joseph, 2025) ISBN: 978-0241733431
See also
In Spanish: Jamie Oliver para niños
