Jamie's School Dinners

I never used to like Jamie Oliver - too young and too trendy, lots of trendy little catchphrases like 'Pukker'.

His Naked Chef series was okay, but - when watching any television cookery programme - I never take the slightest interest in actually cooking his recipes or anything at home. Does anyone? Does anyone actually write down what these TV chefs do and try it themselves? Don't the chefs themselves just make it up as they go along? I never understand the obsession with food, either. There are simply too many TV cookery programmes on these days. And none will ever reach the standard - in cooking and flamboyance/charisma - of the great Keith Floyd.

However, Jamie Oliver has done a great job in promoting healthy eating in schools. Brilliant.

In the Kidbrooke Comprehensive edition, Oliver has to produce meals for about 500 pupils for 37p each. That's about £185 for a day's lunch at school. That's about £36,000 a year for the school canteen budget (assuming about 13 weeks of the school being closed down for holidays). That's PATHETIC. It should be DOUBLED immediately. Pay the headmistress less, perhaps. Or the over-paid teachers.

I don't blame the regular canteen staff. They seem happy and genuinely work hard producing their junk food. They just need to learn to cook properly, not just settle for being re-heaters.

Oliver produces some nice, herby tomato ciabatta bread, or something and it all looks very appetising. Then he goes off to his 15 restaurant, somewhere in trendy Shoreditch, I imagine.