JamieOliver.com

ministry of food manifesto

Mon 20 Oct 2008 @ 18:19 Hi Guys,

Just a reminder that the last episode of my show Jamie’s Ministry of Food airs on Channel 4 tomorrow night (Tuesday 21st October). It’s great to see that the show has got people talking about cooking and discussing their thoughts about it - I love it! This documentary was always made to make people think and I believe it is a very real and honest snapshot of Great Britain today. I think it’s really demonstrated that there are a lot of people out there who just don’t know how to cook simple, affordable and delicious food from scratch. Things really need to change as the National Obesity Forum recently indicated that if nothing is done now, then by 2020, 75% of Britain's population will be classed as overweight or obese.

I’ve written to key government ministers as well as members of the Shadow Cabinet outlining what I believe needs to be done to tackle Britain's growing obesity crisis - you can read that letter here. I’ve also written a manifesto that outlines the urgent need for government to invest in reviving the nation's food literacy and cooking skills – this would make a huge impact on Britain's health and prevent the NHS from becoming catastrophically over-burdened.

There have been some great news stories on the campaign and to date we have had a record number of hits on my website. I am also really impressed with the number of enquires that we’ve had via email and on the website from companies, groups and individuals who are keen to create their own Ministry of Food movements. The pilot in Rotherham has already shown there is a huge appetite from people wanting to learn about basic cooking and a great need for everyone to understand about eating a balanced diet. On the main Ministry of Food website we have provided you with the tools in order to start your own movements.

If you still haven’t registered to get involved and Pass it On then please make sure you do. Every single person out there can make a difference and really help to get the nation cooking again.

Finally, thanks to everyone who has voted on the site to have a food centre set up in their town. It shows that there is a huge level of support for the campaign as we have already received over 10,000 votes - amazing!



Big love, Jamie O xxx