Jamie's Kitchen

Paul in Cannon Beach

Anyone here ever catch the show "Jamie's Kitchen"? I found it on Netflix. It might be a BBC production.

It features celebrity chef Jamie Oliver attempting to take fifteen 18-24 year olds from London's unemployment ranks and put them through intensive culinary training with the ultimate goal of opening a restaurant.

These fifteen have been essentially offered free training, travel expenses, and a guaranteed job at the end. Sounds good, right? Nobody would screw up a sweetheart deal like that, right? Right?

Right off the bat four of the students started missing their classes. One is having attitude problems and cussed out the headmaster. One has dropped out of the program.

If you work in the hospitality industry, this is a fascinating show to watch. You will certainly relate to the frustrations of supervising immature people who don't really think about the long term consequences of their actions.

Jamie has chosen to really go the extra mile with the truants and bad attitudes. Whether or not that will pay off is up in the air. I won't know until I get my next Netflix.

jdn

I have seen it. I was really wishing that I could be one of the fortunate ones that had such a great opportunity! Do you think they realize how very lucky they are? Let us know how it all turns out...I only saw it once, probably late night during the summer on cable.
Jamie

Paul in Cannon Beach

I think they do have at least some realization that this is a HUGE opportunity. For whatever reason, that isn't enough to get them to show up. My guess is that some people don't think through their choices. They do what is easy, convenient or most fun at the moment and then deal with the consequences.

I have also been struck by how much time Jaime has given to the truants and slackers. In a way, he has negatively reinforced their behavior. He even took a couple of the worst attenders on a special trip to the coast to work in a different restaurant.

Like other reality shows, these troublemakers have dominated the camera time as well. So, whats the motivation to start doing better? I wonder how many of us do that in real life as well. Give our best time and energy to the non-performers.

Hopefully the next disc arrives today and I'll have a report on Monday.

Paul in Cannon Beach

UPDATE:

I watched the second disc with the last three episodes. All of the episodes were pretty entertaining. Jamie Oliver has a great personality but I wouldn't recommend anyone copy his supervision style which involves alot of British slang and cuss words, hugging, pleading, prodding, and public humiliation.

Of the original 15 selected to recieve free culinary training and the opportunity to appear on a "reality" television show, only 7 managed to last the entire year. Of the 7, only 5 completed the course.

Of those 5, all were able to find cooking jobs in restaurants (Sydney, California, London, etc). 2 students were held back for some additional training.

I think alot of the students weren't prepared for the actual work that was involved. Many of them probably thought it would be fun to be on a reality tv show but weren't expecting so much "reality".

I guess you could call the experiment a success as Jamie has already picked the next batch of 15 students.

Anyone who enjoyes reality tv, cooking shows, or british cuss words should definitely check out this DVD.

Paul in Cannon Beach

UPDATE continued.

Lo and behold I searched online and found that the TV show "Jamie's Kitchen" which featured 15 youth from disadvantaged backgrounds getting culinary training has since become the "Fifteen Foundation" and has grown "into a global social enterprise brand inspiring young people all over the world."

After opening the initial "15" restaurant in London, "15 Amsterdam" opened in 2003, "15 Cornwall" in 2004, and "15 Sydney" opened in September of 2006.

The first group (who featured on the TV show Jamie’s Kitchen) totalled 15 of whom 8 completed the course and graduated. Of the second group of 24, 14 graduated. Of the 22 who have graduated, all are at work in the food and hospitality industry, including 7 who work as full time chefs at Fifteen London.

Fifteen of the 22 who started the third Program graduated in July 2005. A fourth group of 20 was recruited in March 2005 and are currently training fulltime at Fifteen. Amsterdam graduated their first group of 15 in August 2005.

Apparently Jamie Oliver is still involved with the foundation as a director.

A nice ending afterall...