Pukka pans on Netflix
It’s always a question of being in the right place at the right time. For Jamie Oliver, that moment came as a young chef working at River Café in London the day a TV crew visited. This started a meteoric rise for a lad from Essex, emerging from back of house into the dazzling lights front of camera. The creation and crash of a restaurant chain followed, but far more importantly a dedication and commitment to inspiring the nation to get cooking, especially young people. This led to the establishment of Fifteen, a not-for-profit restaurant designed to train up 15 disadvantaged, young, unemployed candidates into chefs. When it closed 17 years later, around 150 young people had graduated and moved into roles in the food world. Not only were they inspired to cook, but also to write.
Jamie also battled hard and long to improve the quality of school meals, a campaign that we wholeheartedly endorse. He had chats with and threw challenges at the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair in the garden of No 10 Downing St, squared off with parents, engaged with school cooks and got rid of turkey Twizzlers! He has led a life of charm and chastening, ego boosts and body blows, has been idolised and derided, but has stood firm and resilient.
So it was no surprise to see him featured on Netflix Chef’s Table – Legends, a look at those who changed how the world eats, and how cooking can be cool. But it was a lovely surprise for us to see Jamie using one of his 12 inch Netherton Foundry Prospector Pans, while rustling up lunch for the family.
There is no denying that Jamie has had a huge impact and made people think more closely about what they are eating and how it is prepared; how cooking can be a joy and a job! We hope that we can get everyone thinking about the cookware they use and think twice about reaching for the turkey twizzler equivalent of a frying pan – ditch the non-stick coatings and opt for a PFAS future.
