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MNHQ

Jamie Oliver webchat, Thursday 29 August, 2.45pm

999 replies

GeraldineMumsnet · 27/08/2013 11:12

We're chuffed that Jamie Oliver is paying a return visit to Mumsnet this Thursday. His first MN webchat was back in 2010.

Jamie has a new book out, Save with Jamie: Shop Smart, Cook Clever, Waste Less (all subjects dear to MNers' hearts). It has 100 brand-new recipes designed to be accessible, reliable and, above all, affordable.

This is what Jamie says about his new book: "For years I have been telling people that if you look back through history, the best food in the world has always come from communities under massive financial pressure. But the proviso is that you MUST be able to cook! If you can't, and have no money, that is where the trouble starts. This is a cook book which, from start to finish has tasty recipes, all dedicated to great value, is a brilliant weapon to have on the shelf, and is relevant to every household. If you use this book the way it's intended, you should end up saving a wodge of cash from your wallet."

And to tie in with the book, he has a new six-part series on Channel 4 starting on Monday 2 Sept at 8pm.

Please post your question and join Jamie for a chat at 2.45pm on Thurs.

OP posts:
Pachacuti · 30/08/2013 10:48

Trills, I believe that MN generally charge people to do webchats, although there may be some exceptions. I doubt they've ever paid anyone.

CorrinaKedavra · 30/08/2013 10:49

God JK Rowling would be amazing. She has actually been there and has never forgotten.

Trills · 30/08/2013 10:50

A blurb saying that a book is relevant to every household is always going to be wrong.

This book might be relevant to more households than most of his books.

Typical blurb hyperbole. I wonder who wrote it. I know that in fiction authors often get very little control over the cover and blurb of their books. For a "brand" like Jamie you'd expect that he has a bit more say over what (ridiculous, impossible) claims they make.

I have the impression that Jamie is the sort of person who says "110%", so of course he'll have trouble with what "every" means, because "every" means "100%".

swallowedAfly · 30/08/2013 11:00

she was even 'there' for that long corrina but she's held onto it and as a result gives back amazingly.

she was certainly poorer than 'i grew up in a pub and might have done some hourly paid work as a teenager' - err yeah that equals poverty does it - JO.

single mum on benefits under thatcher i believe.

swallowedAfly · 30/08/2013 11:00

wasn't that should say. sorry.

Arisbottle · 30/08/2013 11:00

£1.38 is also substantially cheaper than a Waitrose or M&S ready meal, I will admit to buying the odd ready meal - I know I am the only person on MN who will admit to such a crime. Again this is his target market - not someone buying a 99p lasagne from Iceland.

swallowedAfly · 30/08/2013 11:01

bear in mind the £1.38 will arise from making a meal for 6 and dividing by 6 most likely.

doubt you could actually produce a portion at that price or that that price would hold true cooking for 2 as with me and my ds.

CorrinaKedavra · 30/08/2013 11:13

Writing in a cafe to save on heating and worrying where the next nappy was coming from. I love the fact that she keeps dropping off the richest list by giving a load of money away.

Not sure she'd come though - she isn't as gobby as JO and is more quietly philanthropic.

swallowedAfly · 30/08/2013 11:15

did you see she recently tried to publish some new work under a pseudonym (presumably so it could be judged and live on it's own merit rather than guaranteed success by her name being on it) and her lawyers or someone revealed it was her and she sued them over it?

was another interesting insight into what she's like and i felt sad for her that she lost the opportunity to have that new work live for itself rather than be boosted by her 'brand' effect iyswim.

becscertainstar · 30/08/2013 11:16

Oh yes J K Rowling is just amazing - has everyone seen - her Harvard commencement speech in 2011? I only discovered it recently even though I'm a huge fan. Warning - have tissues handy...

Trills · 30/08/2013 11:19

A cynical person would say that "this book is JK Rowling" was leaked on purpose. Let it get a few good reviews, then you get a great story with JK Rowling book gets great reviews even though nobody knew it was her which then bumps up the publicity even higher than it would have been if it was just JK Rowling writes new adult book.

Only if we were being cynical, of course.

It's like this thread - is Jamie Oliver well-meaning but slightly out-of-touch and sometimes puts his foot in his mouth, or is he cynically ripping off poor people with his £26 book where the recipes are not even that cheap?

Hulababy · 30/08/2013 11:28

MN at its best I see Hmm

swallowedAfly · 30/08/2013 11:41

god i've just watched that speech! tear jerking indeed and made me crushingly aware of how abjectly i had failed not long ago - still a massive failure by most standards but my standards are what count on this one.

i don't believe that trills. i think more likely people in her team were all about how much money was to be made rather than letting her work stand alone. i just haven't seen anything to make me that cynical of her - if she was that desperate to make more money why would she always be giving huge amounts away?

swallowedAfly · 30/08/2013 11:42

and the fact that without googling i couldn't tell you what the new work is or what name it is published under would suggest a pretty poor publicity scam.

not to mention that nothing would sell as many books as simply sticking 'j k rowling' on the front and plastering all over the media that her new work was being released on x date.

CorrinaKedavra · 30/08/2013 11:46

Thank you so much for the link to that speech. She is so inspiring Smile

usualsuspect · 30/08/2013 11:47

Yes Hulababy, I would say it is MN at its very best

Trills · 30/08/2013 11:48

I'm not saying that I necessarily believe it either - just pointing out that there's often more than one interpretation of someone's motivations (like in this thread).

swallowedAfly · 30/08/2013 11:52

that interpretation wouldn't stand up to any kind of logic though.

i'm a confirmed cynic but also logical. there is no logic to that interpretation.

limitedperiodonly · 30/08/2013 12:02

is Jamie Oliver well-meaning but slightly out-of-touch and sometimes puts his foot in his mouth, or is he cynically ripping off poor people

I have friends with whose politics I disagree. We remain friends by avoiding that topic.

Unfortunately Jamie Oliver shoves his unpalatable political and social views down my throat on a regular basis. I am going to react to that.

He doesn't even do it just because he thinks his views are a worthwhile contribution to an existing debate. He invariably spouts off when he has something to flog. You could say he was a troll. It happens so often I doubt it's foot-in-mouth syndrome.

I don't think he's ripping off poor people. I don't think he cares about poor people. As others have pointed out, he cares about the people who can afford to buy his books, his kitchen gadgets, his ready meals and go to his restaurants.

What he is doing is demonising a chunk of society who already get a trashing as it is.

Thaumatrope · 30/08/2013 12:03

WRT limitedperiodonly's post (which was indeed excellent), JO pretty much addressed questions about his views on this thread by effectively admitting that he hadn't thought it all through and it was complicated and,

"Moving along,..."

ie I am not getting into this, even though it's actually what many people would like to to see properly discussed by someone who's purporting to be offering help.

Completely agree that this is nothing to do with real austerity, it's tinkering at the edges of what's bothering people who have, until say a year ago, not really been having to try very hard to budget at the supermarket.

Bit of a waste really. I feel he's probably been advised by a few media twats that austerity's where it's at. No, people sliding into poverty's where it's at and they are two different things.

ZingWantsCake · 30/08/2013 12:05

oh to have missed this

did anyone educate JO about the wonder of Widges?
I might have to write a book too!

blondieminx · 30/08/2013 12:05

Fabulous post limitedperiodonly

becscertainstar · 30/08/2013 12:07

you're welcome Smile I found it really inspiring too. She's just ace.

I think I get what you mean Trills - even if I think your hypothetical example doesn't stand up to scrutiny. None of us can really know or judge someone from what we've read about them in the media, it's so easy for a story to be 'spun', a quote out of context etc..

I think JO's comment is just a reminder to all of us that it is possible to say hurtful and judgemental things even when we have the best intentions and to watch what we say when we're talking about things we haven't experienced ourselves and to check our thinking. I speak for mainly for myself there as I'm very guilty of foot-in-mouth-syndrome but feel heartbroken when I realise that I've hurt someone else's feelings and said something that I don't even agree with myself just because my mouth was switched to 'auto-talk'... No point judging JO, we don't even know him - but he can act as a reminder to me not to judge other people and to STFU if I don't know what I'm talking about, and it's good to have a reminder on an area of myself that I must keep working on...

Flibbertyjibbet · 30/08/2013 12:25

Hiney dragon Yes I absolutely agree that it makes me proud of mumsnet.

I've just got a recipe off the girl called jack blog for pasta with mushy peas and cheese - definelty trying that next week! Her blog is fab and I will buy her book.

Trills · 30/08/2013 12:34

Speaking of Jack - You're only an expert in what you know - a great title that reflects some of what we've been talking about.