Jamie (Oliver)'s School Dinners

Originally Posted by andygrif

Maybe he does care...I notice it's on C4 late tonight..I might force myself to watch it so I can tell what I think...you lucky people.

The pain I put myself through for you

It is of course appreciated I'll join you in front of the tellybox (only seen bits so far). Meet for a critique tomorrow?

Originally Posted by andygrif

Really? Blimey that was a good guess of mine! Just shows I know him better than I thought....

....and that makes me detest him more too...

He couldn't care less what your children ate....if he's that much of a martyr why isn't he donating the fee from C4 to provide half a dozen extra dinner ladies? Oh and the book sales profits?

It's just a simple exercise in self-promotion and profiteering on someone elses misery.



C4 make quite good telly (not that I've seen any of them as I've been watching The Apprentice instead), Jamie Oliver just makes by skin crawl.

I couldn't care less about whether you like him or not.IF he gets the kids to eat better and then they can learn better..The awful behaviour will become a thing of the past...Frankly I'm sick of teaching the kids AFTER they have eaten a lunch full of cr@p and preservatives and colourings and sugar.They are as high as kites and plain nasty.Anything that improves childrens learning gets my vote.

[goldoni]

Please lets all remember who we have to thank for this mess †œThe Conservative Partyââ‚ƚ¬Ã‚ÂÂÂ� dear old Maggie Thatcher with her competitive tendering. Thankfully when I was a child we had a meat and two veg plus a pudding most days. Today it depends on who has the contract and profit for the company. So Good on him .

Originally Posted by goldoni

Please lets all remember who we have to thank for this mess †œThe Conservative Partyââ‚ƚ¬Ã‚ÂÂÂ� dear old Maggie Thatcher with her competitive tendering. Thankfully when I was a child we had a meat and two veg plus a pudding most days. Today it depends on who has the contract and profit for the company. So Good on him .

I'm thinking what you're thinking. (same story with hospitals. How hard is it to keep a hospital clean. Much harder since CCT and the influx of private cleaning companies).

(Ps Fellow Letchworthian, which school did you go too?)
__________________

Originally Posted by andygrif

Maybe he does care...I notice it's on C4 late tonight..I might force myself to watch it so I can tell what I think...you lucky people.

The pain I put myself through for you

Ok, the review. Well, Nora is the obvious star. Credit to Oliver for crediting her. He remains v annoying though and I nearly fell off my settee when he sat his nipper on the kitchen surface, next to a bread knife, then turned his back on her. Health and safety Jamie! Lot of staging in the filming too. Oliver didn't come across as well as he had done in the snippet I'd seen of the previous episode but I'd still say he genuinely cares about this issue.

Evidence of the battle faced was the classic quote from the kid who when asked what he liked replied "anything cooked in grease".

Removal of choice was the lesson learned I guess. It ain't gonna be pretty!

Finally, great soundtrack. The mighty 22-20s, Franz Ferdinand etc. May I say pukka?!

[SMHarman]

Originally Posted by andygrif

Oh and by the way...listen carefully to Ruth Kelly's statement that only commits the spend for the next three years....after that you're on your own again. Unless St Jamie's still there to save us.

...and 60M is to be spent on some new governement agency to monitor this and another element is for equipment and training so in the end how much of this is really on food?

I heard in the programme that prisoners get £2 a day not 70p a day spent on food.

[andygrif]

Originally Posted by Incognitas

I couldn't care less about whether you like him or not.IF he gets the kids to eat better and then they can learn better..The awful behaviour will become a thing of the past...Frankly I'm sick of teaching the kids AFTER they have eaten a lunch full of cr@p and preservatives and colourings and sugar.They are as high as kites and plain nasty.Anything that improves childrens learning gets my vote.

No and as I made very clear before, I do think the cause is extremely important. However the hypocracy of both Jamie Oliver AND more importantly the government makes me go cold.

Originally Posted by goldoni

Please lets all remember who we have to thank for this mess †œThe Conservative Partyââ‚ƚ¬Ã‚ÂÂÂ� dear old Maggie Thatcher with her competitive tendering.

That's the biggest pile of drivel I've heard since Jamie Oliver last opened his mouth. We have had eight years of Labour rule, under which County Council grants have been continually slashed - which is what has been forcing up our Council Tax.

please bear in mind that Maggie Thatcher hasn't been in power for the last FIFTEEN YEARS, well over one generation of complete schooling.

Originally Posted by andyl

It is of course appreciated I'll join you in front of the tellybox (only seen bits so far). Meet for a critique tomorrow?

Well I did watch it...and it wasn't quite as bad as I thought....mostly becuase the naked one wasn't in it that much. Personally if it was just that cool Irish dinner lady Nora presenting it...i'd be glued...I think she's great!

As I said on the previous page and again above....this is a worthwhile cause. If I wanted to nit pick...and boy do I....I think Oliver's plans were too much too soon, as with all of his mediocre food it was too prissy...I feel it would have cuased fewer problems initially if he offered similar meals to what the brats were eating, but healthier.

Oh and the way in the first 10 mins of the programme where he refers to himself in the third person......arrrrrrrrrrgh....you annoying little !"£$ %^ ^%$%$£" $%£$%$ *(&*(^%$ £

[Nugget]

I think that people are going a bit overboard with their comparisons regarding what is spent on prison food. People appear not to be thinking about the fact that a prison has to provide more than 1 meal a day.

Don't get me wrong, I think that the amount spent on food in schools is pitiful and applaud anyone who can get it increased (and better food for the kids), but I tend to think that it's not a very good example.

Just my opinion, of course

Originally Posted by andygrif

No and as I made very clear before, I do think the cause is extremely important. However the hypocracy of both Jamie Oliver AND more importantly the government makes me go cold.

It is sad that it's taken a celebrity chef to get Governmrent action. Should have been a much higher priority.

That's the biggest pile of drivel I've heard since Jamie Oliver last opened his mouth. We have had eight years of Labour rule, under which County Council grants have been continually slashed - which is what has been forcing up our Council Tax. please bear in mind that Maggie Thatcher hasn't been in power for the last FIFTEEN YEARS, well over one generation of complete schooling.

.


As I say should have been a much higher priority but the problem ultimately began with the Milk Snatcher. And remember too that for two of those 8 years Labour had committed itself to Tory spending limits (as part of its attempt to win voter's trust. Probably unnecessary given the eventual result, but understandable.). And post Thatcher we had Major. There remains a lot of Tory work to be undone. I'd like to see the pace of change increased. Me I'd abolish Council Tax and institute the LDs local income tax (and 50% rate for that matter) but that is for another day

Well I did watch it...and it wasn't quite as bad as I thought....mostly becuase the naked one wasn't in it that much. Personally if it was just that cool Irish dinner lady Nora presenting it...i'd be glued...I think she's great!

Agreed. A natural.

As I said on the previous page and again above....this is a worthwhile cause. If I wanted to nit pick...and boy do I....I think Oliver's plans were too much too soon, as with all of his mediocre food it was too prissy...I feel it would have cuased fewer problems initially if he offered similar meals to what the brats were eating, but healthier.

Agreed again. He needs to empathise with kids more when developing recipes, especially the working class kids he was serving who will have a whole different understanding of 'rocket' than him.

[andygrif]

Originally Posted by andyl

I'm thinking what you're thinking. (same story with hospitals. How hard is it to keep a hospital clean. Much harder since CCT and the influx of private cleaning companies).

I know it's hard to spot the difference between the Labour Party and the Tories these days, but when will people realise that you can't really blame the Conservatives any more. Labour have had two very long terms to sort any problems they claim to have inherited out.

Originally Posted by andyl

Ok, the review. Well, Nora is the obvious star.

Granted....I'd like to see more her less Oliver. She's wonderful.

Originally Posted by andyl

Oliver didn't come across as well as he had done in the snippet I'd seen of the previous episode but I'd still say he genuinely cares about this issue.

I'm still not convinced. Just as he saw Fifteen as a way of using disadvantaged kids to make him even more money...I think this is an exercise in making money Jamie Oliver Inc.

Originally Posted by andyl

Evidence of the battle faced was the classic quote from the kid who when asked what he liked replied "anything cooked in grease".

That bit made me laugh...I think it was staged...but funny none the less.

Originally Posted by andyl

Finally, great soundtrack. The mighty 22-20s, Franz Ferdinand etc. May I say pukka?!

No you may not. Never. Ever.

Originally Posted by andygrif

I know it's hard to spot the difference between the Labour Party and the Tories these days, but when will people realise that you can't really blame the Conservatives any more. Labour have had two very long terms to sort any problems they claim to have inherited out.

We're in danger of veering into whole new off topic territory here. As I say Labour could and should have done more but there has been and remains a lot of work to be done. The Tories were in power for 18 years and undoing that does take time. The supertanker analogy applies I guess. But Labour's priorities have, to say the least, been peculiar and ensuring kids eat decent, nutritional food should have been right up near the top of the list.

Originally Posted by andygrif

As I said on the previous page and again above....this is a worthwhile cause. If I wanted to nit pick...and boy do I....I think Oliver's plans were too much too soon, as with all of his mediocre food it was too prissy...I feel it would have cuased fewer problems initially if he offered similar meals to what the brats were eating, but healthier.

There is no similar food that is healthier...even oven chips are bad if you have them too often...My homemade burgers are good but not necessarily less fatty.Obesity is as much of a problem as is the effect of additives in food.They also need to increase fibre and vitamin and mineral intake for these kids..JO's offerings were fine.I watched last nights 'episode'.Seemed to me the kids made the transition just fine and were relatively happy.After all you can't please everyone all the time.If the take up is almost back to where it was before he took over then they are doing well.

Anyway what wouldn't you consider prissy food?

I wish he would come to our school...too much nursery food on offer in the staff room.

[andygrif]

Originally Posted by Incognitas

There is no similar food that is healthier...even oven chips are bad if you have them too often

I didn't mention chips. I mentioned wedges, which you would brush with something like olive oil for cooking. Plus they'd have their jackets on which are high in fibre.

There is a plethora of similar food that can be healthier....I gave some examples earlier. If you'd like some recipies I'd be happy to oblidge.

Originally Posted by Incognitas

My homemade burgers are good but not necessarily less fatty.

My homemade burgers are legendary 'round these parts! Mine are also extremely low-fat...less than 5% in the patty. The reason for this is using lean steak, ground myself and no egg and/or oil. Some of this fat is drained during cooking, so I estimate that the patty contains only 2-3% fat...about the same as a skinless chicken breast.

Originally Posted by Incognitas

Anyway what wouldn't you consider prissy food?

I don't have a problem with prissy food if it's relevant. Having eaten in Olvier's restaurant I was hugely disapointed, having seriously eaten better in many pubs. Sure it was garnished well...but there was no substance. And that's exactly what Oliver is about...which is why he needs to head off on self-promotional exercises like School Dinners.

Still at least he's finally reached the place most suited to his talents now, maybe he'll leave the rest of us alone.

Oh well I still am thankful for anyone who can change the situation.I don't see anyone else doing anything.. He's welcome to self promotion in my opinion.

Bye..

[SMHarman]

Originally Posted by andygrif

I don't have a problem with prissy food if it's relevant. Having eaten in Olvier's restaurant I was hugely disapointed, having seriously eaten better in many pubs. Sure it was garnished well...but there was no substance.

I'd have to agree that 15 was the most overpriced and dissapointing meal I have had in a good while - I think it was £60 a head for the taster menu + wine. Tasty, but not at all filling. Compared to similar meals elsewhere I was dissapointed. As were others at the table.

[basa]

Originally Posted by Incognitas

Oh well I still am thankful for anyone who can change the situation.I don't see anyone else doing anything.. He's welcome to self promotion in my opinion.

Bye..

Amen to that Incog ................ JO is the only celeb chef (that I know of) who has used his status to promote a good cause.
The others only serve to promote them selves on such as Can't Cook, Won't Cook; Ready, Steady, Cook; etc ad nauseum.
I hope he makes a bomb of cash for himself too.