Naked Chef's Ministry of Food Cooks in Rotherham
Episode 3: Jamie Oliver Gets the Workers Cooking
Oct 20, 2008
Back in 2006, Jamie Oliver took on the government over the poor standards of school meals. Now his latest Channel 4 series documents his attempt to get the people of Rotherham out of the chip shops and back into the kitchen, to learn to cook proper meals. But are people ready to hear the healthy eating message, especially coming from a dreaded southerner?
The Message Is Not Getting Through
Following the success of a mass Pass It On demonstration at Rotherham football ground in Episode 2, in which Jamie persuaded the non-cooking men of the town to tackle an easy chicken recipe, he decides to see how well his Ministry of Food message has spread throughout the town. The results are not good. After knocking on several doors, it seems nobody has even heard of the campaign, never mind taken part in it. Are all his time and efforts simply going to waste?
The original Ministry of Food, established by the government during the Second World War, passed on cooking and savings tips to help people survive food rationing. Teams of women visited homes and workplaces to demonstrate cooking with the food available. And where better to show off the newly acquired kitchen skills of Jamie’s volunteer cooks than the “captive audience” of an office or factory? Rather than pass one recipe on to a few friends, this is a chance to show hundreds of people how simple cooking really is. The confidence of his class members has noticeably improved since their slow start in Episode 1, and they seem to have little problem switching from student to teacher.
It All Comes Down To Money
Again, like the first mass Pass It On for the men, the plan is initially successful. After having a demonstration in the kitchens of a few local workplaces, the idea moves upscale to involved a thousand workers from local companies all trying their hand over a hotplate and showing others how to do it. But, as Jamie discovered in his School Dinners campaign, enthusiasm counts for little if there is no money in the budget to provide support for the project. Of the 20 companies which took part, only four are willing to provide the kitchen equipment, food and time for their employees to cook while at work. Another frustrating dead end.
With only one episode remaining, it’s clear Jamie will need to pull an extremely large rabbit out of a hat if Rotherham is going to be his first Ministry of Food success story, and thereby encourage other towns to follow suit. His commitment is never in doubt, but his visit to the local hospital where he just happens to be given the opportunity by staff to see how treating obese patients is draining resources, veers dangerously close to finger-wagging. And the constant swearing may be alienating viewers he needs to make his campaign succeed across the country. Tone it down or bleep it out!
