Thinking Differently Hero: Jamie Oliver

From transforming attitudes about children’s food, to demystifying complicated recipes; whether you love him or hate him you have to admit that Jamie Oliver has achieved a great deal.

An Essex boy whose first taste of the culinary world was helping out in his parent’s pub, Jamie Oliver is now a global brand. His laddish, accessible cooking tips are now available from England to South America. His books have been translated into 23 languages and have sold over 21 million copies.

Leaving school at 16 with no qualifications Jamie worked in restaurant kitchens before his simple style brought him to the attention of the BBC at the age of 24. Within the year ‘The Naked Chef’ had a successful television show, his cookery book became a UK best seller and he was invited to cook for the Prime Minister.

But rather than sticking to life as a chef, Jamie thought differently by expanding his business interests, investing in new media ventures, property and food companies, and then took the biggest leap of all in 2002 with the risky decision to fund The Fifteen Foundation. Without telling his new wife, Jamie took a second mortgage out on the family home to set up the charity which aimed to take 15 disadvantaged youngsters and transform them into chefs and restaurateurs – there are now a string of successful graduates and three Fifteen restaurants across the globe.

With the thriving Fifteen under his belt, Jamie did not sit on his laurels. Jamie funnelled his energies into altering attitudes towards the unhealthy British School Dinners, aiming to transform the fatty stodge served up to the nation’s children to nutrient rich fresh food. After months of political campaigning the government agreed to pledged to spend £280m on improving school dinners and the young chef was named "Most Inspiring Political Figure of 2005" in the Channel 4 Political Awards. And now he’s turning his hand to inspiring low academic achievers like himself to engage with their education in Jamie’s Dream School.

Jamie Oliver could have stayed a successful television chef, enjoying the success of his Italian restaurant chain, and yet, on top of that he has used his passion and energy for food in an attempt to transform lives. And there’s only one thing that we can say about this level of Thinking Differently: Pukka!