Why did you want to make Jamie Oliver’s Seasons?
I really want to inspire more people to embrace the beauty of seasonal cooking. Eating seasonally is not only better for the planet, it’s also a great way to get more of the good stuff into your diet, and to keep costs down in the kitchen. Ultimately, Jamie Cooks exists to help you surf the seasons – it’s about giving viewers lots of ideas for transforming seasonal produce into the most delicious dishes and, if they’re up for it, the confidence to have a go at growing their own food. I also wanted to remind viewers just how joyful veg can be, there’s nothing like the taste of fresh seasonal produce (especially if you’ve grown it yourself!).
What’s at the heart of Jamie Olivers Seasons?
The premise of the show is simple – grow it, cook it, eat it! As hippyish as this might sound, I truly believe that having a genuine connection to where our food comes from is essential for our future. I’m not doing anything that hasn’t been done before, but what’s happened in Britain over the past 50 years has been quite unusual. Our industrial revolution was quick. We dropped what had been done for generations to chase more lucrative prospects, so I want us to encourage more people to get back into the rhythm of growing and cooking their own food. Eating with the seasons, taking a moment to select seasonal produce when you shop, choosing local where you can, is the first step in that journey.
How would you describe the show’s vibe?
Relaxed. The birdsong you hear in the background is real birds in the garden, and we’ve put a lot of effort into capturing the British weather by using macro lenses and filming time lapses, so you can get a real sense of the changes in the seasons. It’s very beautiful. There’s a specific pace to the series because it’s about the passage of time, from planting the seeds to cooking what we’ve grown, so we can all start to appreciate the cogs of nature.
Do we see a different side to you in Jamie Seasons?
What you’ve seen of me on screen has always been authentic, but Jamie Olivers Seasons allows me to be excited and eccentric, as well as calm as it’s a bit of a slower pace, so you get both gears of me! My family is around, as is my faithful dog Conker, and I enjoy the quiet moments where we say nothing.
Are you much of a gardener?
I’m in the garden every day I can be! I’m obsessed. I probably spend an hour in the garden every night, picking and eating. I’m not just gardening for myself or the family –everything that isn’t used at home goes straight to the office kitchen in London. I’m often on the road by 5am and the boot of my car is full of lettuce, beans, broccoli, cauliflower and herbs for staff lunch. I’ll be the first one in the office, so when the in-house chefs George and Santos Walk into the kitchen, I’ll have a stack of vegetables from the garden waiting for them. Nothing is wasted.
Have you always been a keen gardener?
I’d say so. My first flat in London was a tiny studio, so I used window boxes to grow herbs and chillies. I was skint but trying to eat well. I wasn’t earning that much more when I moved to my second flat, but it did have a backyard with about four metres of mud. When I did a second viewing of the flat, I kicked up the mud and sprinkled seeds without the estate agent knowing. When I moved in three weeks later, I had beautiful lettuces ready and raring to go. I started with lots of veg you’d see in the garden – a plethora of cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes and aubergines. All Italian seeds, because that’s always been my vibe, though my Italian is arguably not the best! I couldn’t read the instructions, so for the first two years I shook seeds into the ground, covered them up, watered them and hoped for a bit of sun. These days, I’m really lucky to have the space to grow enough fruit and veg to feed my family (and the extended office family!).
How pleasurable do you find cooking food you’ve grown yourself?
Before meals I’ll say to my family, “Guys! Before we start, everything is from the garden!” They’ll look at me and reply, “Yes, you say that every day.” I do feel like a very eccentric father, but I don’t care, because nature’s so bloody clever. Fruit and veg are like perfect pieces of art. To be able to go outside and snap off asparagus spears, which are so fresh you don’t need to cook them for much more than a minute, is amazing. They only need a pinch of salt and maybe a squeeze of lemon, and they taste extraordinary. That really gets me excited.
How else do the gardens contribute to what you do?
We opened my restaurant Jamie Oliver Catherine St in November and I’m working out how I’ll be able to contribute veg and meat to the restaurant. We’ve planted an acre of herbs, we have sheep, and we’re going to have chickens, which will roam in the forest.
Does the show’s pace reflect the fact that you’re filming at home?
I said to the family if they want to rock up and check it out, they should. Jools and the kids were popping in and out of the garden during filming. River would turn up, ask what’s going on, and help us, like he did when we were pulling up potatoes. The kids come in of their own accord – it’s impossible to set kids up! The keenest member of the family to be involved is Conker; whenever I’m cooking meat, he’s always by my side.
What do you hope ‘Jamie Olivers Seasons’ achieves?
First and foremost, if viewers start eating more seasonally, and seeking out seasonal produce at the supermarket and local markets, that’s fantastic. I would also love it if the show inspires viewers to give growing a go, particularly younger sections of the audience who maybe haven’t grown anything themselves before. The minute you grow something yourself, cook and enjoy it, you’re changed for life. This might sound romantic, but you do start to think differently. I want everyone to experience that.
Does ‘Jamie Olivers Seasons’ hope to encourage people to change their own pace, too?
When I started out with The Naked Chef the average time in the UK spent cooking was much longer than it is now. I’ve done 15-Minute Meals and 30-Minute Meals and those are gears which are definitely worth celebrating, and you can absolutely embrace seasonal produce in quick, everyday cooking, but Jamie Cooks is more of a love letter to taking your time. Hopefully, there’s a day or two in the week where you don’t have to rush so much and you can experiment with dishes that surf the seasons, enjoying your time in the kitchen and savouring what you create.
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver returns to TV with his latest show, Jamie Oliver: Seasons, airing from 10 to 24 September on BBC Lifestyle (Channel 174) at 8pm