Chefs battle for Oliver's pub
Four chefs will battle it out to run Jamie Oliver's pub in a new Channel 4 series.
Jamie's Chef is based at the Cock in Beazley End, Essex. Four graduates from Oliver's charitable trust, the Fifteen Foundation, will compete to run the gastropub business in the series that starts on 30 January on Channel 4.
Fifteen Foundation bought the freehold of the Cock off a guide price of £485,000 and the pub is
currently trading. The head chef's name and dishes are a closely-guarded secret.
A spokesperson for Channel 4 said: "About
20 Fifteen Foundation graduates applied for the opportunity to run their own business and they had
to cook their favourite dish for Jamie.
"The four finalists - Aaron Craze, John Relihan, Thasanee Robinson and Dennis Duncanson - then underwent kitchen and front-of-house training."
One of the show mentors is Oliver's dad Trevor, who runs the Cricketers in Clavering near Saffron Walden in Essex, where Jamie Oliver started cooking.
Contestant Aaron Craze was packed off to the Cricketers to learn a thing or two from Trevor Oliver.
"He loved it and taught my dad to make bread like him, so they both learned something," Jamie Oliver told the Mail on Sunday.
The Fifteen Foundation aims to help people with few prospects and qualifications to become chefs.
Jamie Oliver ended up in court pleading with a judge to let Duncanson take part in his Fifteen Foundation instead of going to prison for a
dangerous driving charge.
Since then, Duncanson has cooked for Brad Pitt and has been asked to co-ordinate the catering for the Mobo (Music of Black Origin) Awards.
Jamie told the Mail on Sunday's Live magazine: "That's what Fifteen Foundation is all about -
taking kids with nothing and giving them something, and turning lives around. He's a bloody great chef."
Jamie's plan is to create a chain of Fifteen Foundation businesses that will be operated by his graduates.
Fifteen Foundation is recruiting trainees for this year. To apply, visit www.fifteenfoundation.co.uk.
