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CNN Live Today

Jamie's Kitchen

Aired October 13, 2003 - 11:51   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. We're looking at some scenes from the Food Network. Jamie Oliver, you know him as "the naked chef." His show's now called "Jamie's Kitchen." and airs on The Food Network. The concept is very simple, stripped down food to its bare, but delicious essentials. He's on to even bigger and better things than just that. And Jamie Oliver somehow found time in his very bush schedule to join us here from our New York studios.
Good morning. It's huge to have you here with us.

JAMIE OLIVER, "THE NAKED CHEF": How are you, darling? Nice to meet you.

KAGAN: It's doing great.

Let's just start with the first thing -- now you're not naked any more?

OLIVER: No, only in private.

KAGAN: Yes, I would hope so.

OLIVER: It got a bit cold.

KAGAN: But, really, you're moving on past the idea of being the naked chef.

OLIVER: Yes. I mean, "Jamie's Kitchen" is a really different documentary that we filmed over the last two years. And it was about setting up charity which was basically a restaurant, and basically taking on 15 unemployed kids every six months and training them to be fully qualified, passionate chefs with an ambition and a future.

KAGAN: So here was the idea. Let's start a restaurant. It's not meant to make money.

OLIVER: It's there to make money, but to make money purely for the charity to take on more students.

KAGAN: Not to make a profit. And let's get a bunch of people who can't cook.

OLIVER: I grew up in the business. I grew up in the restaurant industry. And it's something very, very close to my heart. And I've had an amazing six years. I think it was a little bit about paying a little back, but also I think the way that we teach kids in this lowering of the class is I used to be one of those kids, and I know what used to get me excited. So the idea was really to be able to turn them around and make them really successful, and it worked.

KAGAN: Here's the thing, crazy thing, apparently it worked. The reviews not just on the show, but people eating at this restaurant say it's very good.

OLIVER: The restaurant is booked out until January, through night and day. So can't complain.

But it's an on going project. And hopefully, if the show goes down well in America, it starts tonight on The Food Network. And if it goes down well, then we're going to open up the same concept in New York City, and hopefully take it to San Francisco, and who knows from there onwards.

KAGAN: Oh great. Wow.

What do you think the secret was? Because plenty of restaurants that are trying to make business that hire people that can work, that do know how to cook, I mean, that's a tough business unto itself. Why do you think it worked this time around for you?

OLIVER: It was all about different concepts of teaching. It was about mentoring, it was about creating a kind of family environment, and for a lot of the kids we were training, there were a lot of problems at home, had definitely been problems at school and stuff like that, various other issues which are kind of there in reality. And the idea of it was really to kind of -- I still hire professional chefs, but to teach them.

And obviously, we tap into the wonderful supplies. And together, we all mentor them really and encourage them and tell them they're not rubbish, actually they're good. And we build them up slowly. And the results are fantastic. I mean, honestly, I have seen the most unsubtle youngsters when I first met them, and at the end of the year they've got delicate fingers and they're making the most beautiful salads, and they got fantasy in their eyes. And when they stand up, they stand proud.

And I think it's amazing how powerful cooking can be, you know. To feed other people your food and watch them enjoy it is a really empowering thing, and I think that was the trick with the students, really, and I have got -- when you see the documentary tonight on tele, you'll notice that it wasn't all sparkly and nice and pleasant. It was a really tough two years for me, and I put everything on the line to make the restaurant happen, and had to remortgage my house and all sorts of strange things.

But most importantly, the students pulled it off. And we turned the restaurant into a going concern, and it's packed out. And yes, you've kind of got to see it really. I can't really explain it.

KAGAN: What was the toughest moment?

OLIVER: The toughest moment was probably when my wife was eight months -- eight and a half months pregnant, I had to remortgage the house to pay for the overexpenditure that the builders were doing on the restaurant. The students weren't turning up, and they were all sorts of troubles. There were leaks. I mean, everything. It was kind of -- like that film "Money Pit," but with me and a restaurant.

KAGAN: Restaurant Pit.

Well, I think the comparison you can make, it sounds like you are cooking up success for these people, putting in a bunch of good ingredients and creating great success and a recipe for success, absolutely. So it will be on the tele tonight, as you say, on Food Network, runs tonight and goes for the next five nights.

OLIVER: Yes, 10:00, and I hope you'll enjoy it.

KAGAN: Stop by any time.

OLIVER: Thank you very much, darling. You take care.

KAGAN: I will do that.

Jamie Oliver, appreciate it. And good luck with that.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired October 13, 2003 - 11:51   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. We're looking at some scenes from the Food Network. Jamie Oliver, you know him as "the naked chef." His show's now called "Jamie's Kitchen." and airs on The Food Network. The concept is very simple, stripped down food to its bare, but delicious essentials. He's on to even bigger and better things than just that. And Jamie Oliver somehow found time in his very bush schedule to join us here from our New York studios.
Good morning. It's huge to have you here with us.

JAMIE OLIVER, "THE NAKED CHEF": How are you, darling? Nice to meet you.

KAGAN: It's doing great.

Let's just start with the first thing -- now you're not naked any more?

OLIVER: No, only in private.

KAGAN: Yes, I would hope so.

OLIVER: It got a bit cold.

KAGAN: But, really, you're moving on past the idea of being the naked chef.

OLIVER: Yes. I mean, "Jamie's Kitchen" is a really different documentary that we filmed over the last two years. And it was about setting up charity which was basically a restaurant, and basically taking on 15 unemployed kids every six months and training them to be fully qualified, passionate chefs with an ambition and a future.

KAGAN: So here was the idea. Let's start a restaurant. It's not meant to make money.

OLIVER: It's there to make money, but to make money purely for the charity to take on more students.

KAGAN: Not to make a profit. And let's get a bunch of people who can't cook.

OLIVER: I grew up in the business. I grew up in the restaurant industry. And it's something very, very close to my heart. And I've had an amazing six years. I think it was a little bit about paying a little back, but also I think the way that we teach kids in this lowering of the class is I used to be one of those kids, and I know what used to get me excited. So the idea was really to be able to turn them around and make them really successful, and it worked.

KAGAN: Here's the thing, crazy thing, apparently it worked. The reviews not just on the show, but people eating at this restaurant say it's very good.

OLIVER: The restaurant is booked out until January, through night and day. So can't complain.

But it's an on going project. And hopefully, if the show goes down well in America, it starts tonight on The Food Network. And if it goes down well, then we're going to open up the same concept in New York City, and hopefully take it to San Francisco, and who knows from there onwards.

KAGAN: Oh great. Wow.

What do you think the secret was? Because plenty of restaurants that are trying to make business that hire people that can work, that do know how to cook, I mean, that's a tough business unto itself. Why do you think it worked this time around for you?

OLIVER: It was all about different concepts of teaching. It was about mentoring, it was about creating a kind of family environment, and for a lot of the kids we were training, there were a lot of problems at home, had definitely been problems at school and stuff like that, various other issues which are kind of there in reality. And the idea of it was really to kind of -- I still hire professional chefs, but to teach them.

And obviously, we tap into the wonderful supplies. And together, we all mentor them really and encourage them and tell them they're not rubbish, actually they're good. And we build them up slowly. And the results are fantastic. I mean, honestly, I have seen the most unsubtle youngsters when I first met them, and at the end of the year they've got delicate fingers and they're making the most beautiful salads, and they got fantasy in their eyes. And when they stand up, they stand proud.

And I think it's amazing how powerful cooking can be, you know. To feed other people your food and watch them enjoy it is a really empowering thing, and I think that was the trick with the students, really, and I have got -- when you see the documentary tonight on tele, you'll notice that it wasn't all sparkly and nice and pleasant. It was a really tough two years for me, and I put everything on the line to make the restaurant happen, and had to remortgage my house and all sorts of strange things.

But most importantly, the students pulled it off. And we turned the restaurant into a going concern, and it's packed out. And yes, you've kind of got to see it really. I can't really explain it.

KAGAN: What was the toughest moment?

OLIVER: The toughest moment was probably when my wife was eight months -- eight and a half months pregnant, I had to remortgage the house to pay for the overexpenditure that the builders were doing on the restaurant. The students weren't turning up, and they were all sorts of troubles. There were leaks. I mean, everything. It was kind of -- like that film "Money Pit," but with me and a restaurant.

KAGAN: Restaurant Pit.

Well, I think the comparison you can make, it sounds like you are cooking up success for these people, putting in a bunch of good ingredients and creating great success and a recipe for success, absolutely. So it will be on the tele tonight, as you say, on Food Network, runs tonight and goes for the next five nights.

OLIVER: Yes, 10:00, and I hope you'll enjoy it.

KAGAN: Stop by any time.

OLIVER: Thank you very much, darling. You take care.

KAGAN: I will do that.

Jamie Oliver, appreciate it. And good luck with that.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com