Jamie At Home

The last few years have seen me spend most of my spare time at home; growing things in my garden (with the help of Brian, my gardener) and becoming totally inspired to cook with fantastic home-grown produce. Good food starts with good ingredients and what could be more exciting than cooking something you’ve grown yourself? My new TV series and accompanying book, both called Jamie At Home, are the results.

From potatoes and tomatoes to strawberries and peas, in each episode the ingredient is the hero of the show. And if you fancy getting your hands dirty in the garden, there’s some basic planting information and tips that I've learnt along the way too.

Jamie at Home is a celebration of no-nonsense beautiful seasonal food. It’s all about getting down and dirty with nature, growing and cooking your very own produce – whether from your garden, allotment or window box. It’s easier than you might think and fantastically rewarding if you get it right. To have a whole load of beautiful things ready and waiting to be pulled out of the ground, or picked from a plant, just outside my kitchen door is what I call heaven! Hopefully, with the help of my new book and TV series, you’ll be well up for giving it a go yourselves.

My new series will be airing on Channel 10 soon or you can go and grab your own copy of my new DVD. So keep an eye out for me!

Fifteen

Fifteen was a concept set up by Jamie Oliver in London in 2002 when he realised he could use his skills and energy to offer young people from tough backgrounds an opportunity to train and be employed in a supportive environment.

Jamie developed the restaurant Fifteen in London, putting young people at its heart.

Says Jamie: “Having not been the brightest banana in the bunch myself, I realised that my biggest weapon in life was the determination, enthusiasm, hands-on and "actions speak louder than words" approach my father taught me, and I wanted to get this across to others, especially those interested in food.”

Since 2002 two further restaurants opened in Amsterdam and South West England. Melbourne is the fourth in the growing Fifteen ‘family’ with Melbourne local, Tobie Puttock, as the Executive Head Chef. Having spent 2½ years working with Jamie at Fifteen London, Tobie has come home to share the Fifteen opportunity with young Melbournians.

Tobie says: “Jamie gave me the opportunity to establish a Fifteen in Australia and I jumped at the opportunity to have a positive impact on the lives of young people in my own hometown. How could I pass the chance to be part of something as special as Fifteen Melbourne!"

Every month, funds from the restaurant are re-invested into the apprenticeship schemes. So not only will you have great food and an unforgettable experience at the restaurant, but you know you’ll be directly helping our hardworking apprentices to turn their lives around.

Learn more about the Fifteen foundation at www.fifteen.net.