Jamie Oliver Biography

The British chef and restaurateur Jamie Oliver was born in 1975 in Clavering, Essex. Jamie’s parents ran a local restaurant and pub, and so he was exposed to the culinary world from a very early age. After finishing school at the age of sixteen, Oliver went on to earn his NVQ (City & Guilds National Vocational Qualification) in the field of home economics at Westminster Kingsway College.

Following his education, Jamie went to work as a pastry chef at a London restaurant. He then moved on to The River Café, where he worked as a sous chef. When the restaurant was featured in a documentary film, Jamie’s appearance and natural flair for the camera garnered him the attention of executives at the BBC.

The network ultimately offered Oliver his own television show, The Naked Chef. The series debuted in 1999 and coincided with the release of his first book by the same name, and both were smash hits. The book rose to become a number one bestseller in England, and set the stage for the additional shows Jamie’s Kitchen and Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, establishing Jamie Oliver one of the era’s most recognizable chefs.

In the mid 2000’s, Jamie Oliver became well-known not only for his culinary skills and television hosting, but for the initiation of the campaign called “Feed Me Better.” The endeavor, which seeks to encourage school children to eat healthier food and adopt a healthier lifestyle, eventually earned the support of the government and earned Jamie a 2010 TED Prize.

Today, Jamie Oliver is the owner of more than thirty-five restaurants and the head of Oliver Holdings Ltd., which handles his worldwide investments. Still the face of healthy eating alternatives, he continues to host multiple television shows and specials which encourage local, healthy, and sustainable eating.