His cookbooks have sold millions of copies worldwide, but TV star chef Jamie Oliver still believes he has one more mission. He wants to get more and more people back into the kitchen.

Cooking is often seen as a stressful chore, Jamie Oliver tells the German News Agency in London. Many people did not learn to cook at home or at school. The idea for his new book ‘Easy with Jamie – Something good for every day’ was based on some rather depressing statistics which showed that fewer and fewer people in his home country were cooking anymore.

What every child can do in Germany

Oliver also has an opinion on cooking in Germany and the advice he gives is that “every child in Germany should learn ten recipes by the age of 16”.

In his opinion, children should learn where food comes from, how it affects our bodies and how to cook it well with little money.

“Germans are very sensible and prudent,” says Oliver. “So why wouldn’t they want their children, the next generation, to be happier and healthier?” The TV chef who became famous for his unconventional style is at his company’s headquarters in London’s Islington district. In his checkered shirt and carefully tousled hair, he’s exactly what you’d imagine him to be.

He is relaxed but also more serious than he wants to appear. Jamie Oliver’s #1 cooking tip for stressed-out families who don’t quite know how or what to cook: use five or ten recipes they know well and feel comfortable with. One can save a lot of money and eat something healthy instead of overly processed, fatty and salty foods, known as junk food. “Imagine a world where many more young Germans feel comfortable and encouraged to cook normal food,” says Oliver.

According to the latest nutrition report of the Federal Department of Agriculture, 45% of respondents said they cook almost every day. 37% said they cook two to three times a week.

The other side of Jamie Oliver

Since his first show “The Naked Chef” Oliver has set a style that is bold and relaxed. But not everything went well. A few years ago, his UK restaurant chain filed for bankruptcy.

Today the most important part for him is his awareness campaigns. By speaking out, he rails against the food industry, particularly the processed food industry, and the difficulties facing the food industry.

In the past, wanting to draw attention to various issues, he used to resort to provocative campaigns such as slaughtering a chicken in front of the camera to talk about the slaughtering conditions. Today he lives more quietly with his wife and their five children, but even when he is very exhausted he still enjoys preparing even his simplest meals.

Edited by: Maria Rigoutsou