Jamie Oliver tells the truth!!!

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

In his latest comments, the 38-year-old told Good Housekeeping magazine: "The average working hours in a week was 80 to 100. That was really normal in my 20s."

"British kids particularly, I have never seen anything so wet behind the ears!

"I have mummies phoning up for 23-year-olds saying to me, 'My son is too tired'. On a 48-hour-week! Are you having a laugh?"

He told the magazine: "I think our European immigrant friends are much stronger, much tougher.

"If we didn't have any, all of my restaurants would close tomorrow. There wouldn't be any Brits to replace them."

http://news.sky.com/story/1133928/jamie-oliver-says-british-workers-whinge

vivatifosi

Does he have a new book coming out? I sense a publicity stunt.

chewmylegoff

The EU working time restrictions were first introduced in 1993 when Jamie Oliver was 18. I really doubt that he was working 100 hour weeks in hot kitchens throughout his 20s given that he shot to celebrity stardom in 1997 aged 23. Perhaps he did put in 100 hour weeks through choice when making TV shows about himself but it seems unlikely to me he spent many years gratefully chopping carrots in a kitchen on minimum wage.

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

vivatifosi wrote: »

Does he have a new book coming out? I sense a publicity stunt.

I worked regular 100 hour weeks when I was younger, and even more as an unpaid intern while in Uni.

We all did.

In fairness, I still do on occasion, and within the last year I've worked youngsters half my age into the ground while working more hours then they seem able to cope with on projects.

In our industry, it's more a metaphorical kitchen rather than the literal one with Jamie, but if they can't take the heat....;)

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

chewmylegoff wrote: »

The EU working time restrictions

I've never worked a job that didn't involve an opt out.

Ever.

In my entire career.

Can't say I've ever heard anyone daft enough to quote them as a reason for not working though, in fairness. That would be career suicide in our line of work.

chewmylegoff

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

I've never worked a job that didn't involve an opt out.

Ever.

In my entire career.

Can't say I've ever heard anyone daft enough to quote them as a reason for not working though, in fairness. That would be career suicide in our line of work.

I was forced to opt out in my first job. I haven't seen an opt out form since then but I have regularly worked more than 48 hours a week as well. I've done the odd 100 hour week as well although frankly I would be surprised if many people ever do that. Even fewer will regularly string those sorts of hours together for any sort of duration.

However Jamie is hardly one to talk about all this. Plucked from obscurity at the age of 23 after a couple of years of work because some TV crew thought he talked a good game and given his own TV series off the back of nothing which he leveraged into a celebrity career. No wonder the yoof don't want to chop his carrots for minimum wage. They want to go on TV and become millionaires instead, just like their role model, Jamie Oliver. He may have worked hard before and after his opportunity but I wonder how hard he'd be working now if he was still a sous chef at the age of 38.

Loughton_Monkey

chewmylegoff wrote: »

The EU working time restrictions were first introduced in 1993 when Jamie Oliver was 18. I really doubt that he was working 100 hour weeks in hot kitchens throughout his 20s given that he shot to celebrity stardom in 1997 aged 23. Perhaps he did put in 100 hour weeks through choice when making TV shows about himself but it seems unlikely to me he spent many years gratefully chopping carrots in a kitchen on minimum wage.

You're right. Seems like he never chopped carrots.

More like pounding his pastry, flaggelating his filo, or squeezing his shortcrust all day. He looks that kind of guy....

Wiki:

His first job was a pastry chef at Antonio Carluccio's Neal's Yard restaurant, where he first gained experience with preparing Italian cuisine, and developed a relationship with his mentor Gennaro Contaldo. Oliver then moved to The River Caf!, Fulham, as a sous chef.

It was there that he was noticed by the BBC in 1997 after making an unscripted appearance in a documentary about the restaurant, "Christmas at the River Cafe".

antrobus

vivatifosi wrote: »

Does he have a new book coming out? I sense a publicity stunt.

Funny you should ask. Amazon have Save with Jamie: Shop Smart, Cook Clever, Waste Less with a release date of 29 Aug 2013.

PasturesNew

I've never understood why bosses are so proud to have workers working 100 hour weeks. Why not have double the staff and work them for 50? You'd get more out of them.

Migrants have a different position: our minimum wage is a fortune to them, so it's easy for them to come over when young and work their nuts off, then go home after a few years and buy a house outright..... and live in HMOs with fellow countrymen of the same ilk.

Brits are trying to establish a life and all the costs that go with that. There's no party and free house after 3-4 years' hard work, just a realisation that there's another 40 years of the drudgery.

Foreigners, working their nuts off are already away from home and not putting down roots - they live with their mates, they're young, it's fun.

Brits have all sorts of family to fit in, plans to make etc, they're not away from home on a big Grand Tour style adventure.

PasturesNew

I loved his other out of touch comment the day before in the press moaning about families buying ready meals when they could .... simply stop off at the local market on the way home and pick up some mange tout.

SRSLY Jamie? Not everybody has a market; most markets close earlier than jobs; most people wouldn't have a market on the way home even if they wanted to pick up some mange tout.....

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

chewmylegoff wrote: »

I was forced to opt out in my first job. I haven't seen an opt out form since then but I have regularly worked more than 48 hours a week as well. I've done the odd 100 hour week as well although frankly I would be surprised if many people ever do that. Even fewer will regularly string those sorts of hours together for any sort of duration.

In our organisation I'm one step below C-level and still do 100+ hour weeks a dozen or more times a year, with a 60 hour week as a bare minimum.

I'm on call 24/7, I work at least 3-4 hours a day on weekends, and I check emails daily on holidays. My bonus however, regularly exceeds my base salary, and my share awards will allow me to retire very comfortably at 50 if I keep this pace going.

As a junior I did 100+ hours all the time, week in and week out, for the best part of a decade.

And the juniors of today who wish to progress in our industry still do.

I absolutely do not understand the 9-5 Monday to Friday culture.

If that's what you want go and work in the public sector or some useless Quango.

But don't moan about the fact you can't afford a house.... (not aimed at you, just a general rant against the 'entitlement generation')

Progression and financial rewards in the real world takes blood sweat and tears.

And sacrifice.

Career comes before family, personal life, and self-gratification.

There is time to be self-indulgent later..... But the first 20 years out of School or Uni you pay your dues and earn respect and prioritise work above everything.

Here endeth the rant.:o

given his own TV series off the back of nothing which he leveraged into a celebrity career.

Precisely.

He leveraged......

Everything else in your comment fails to appreciate just how rare it is for someone to grasp the opportunity presented to them and exploit it to the full.