Not content with being Britain's most famous chef, Jamie Oliver has now set his sights on global domination – but thankfully it's all in the name of a good cause.
Jamie's plans for world conquest stem from the success of his not-for-profit restaurant Fifteen, which gave ten impoverished young Londoners a break in life by turning them into accomplished chefs. The eaterie also proved a big hit for Channel 4, whose documentary series following the trainees' progress was hugely popular.
Now the culinary wizard, who put £1.3 million into the Shoreditch venue, is hoping to set up similar projects in New York and Sydney. "It takes money, guts and quality staff to train these students, but in the next ten years there'll be three Fifteens in this country, one in New York and one in Sydney," says the geezer-turned-philanthropist.
"I've created an infrastructure that will grow naturally. The next five years are going to be centred on this project. I'm also planning to get more political. I hope to make a lot of noise." There can be little doubt that the cockney cook is well capable of making plenty of noise. As for his political ambitions, we'll just have to wait and see…
The profits generated by Fifteen go to training more young hopefuls and Jamie's plan is to repeat the process every six months, taking on a new set of recruits each time.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
