Jamie Oliver gets Ministry of Food student Fifteen job
A Rotherham Hospitality and Catering student has been given a job at Fifteen London after assisting Jamie Oliver during filming for his new TV series, Ministry of Food.
Michael Poulton, 18 (pictured centre), along with three other students from the Rotherham College of Arts and Technology, were asked to assist Oliver’s food team in their task to get the residents of Rotherham to ditch takeaways and start cooking instead.
On the brink of completing his NVQ Level 3, Poulton was eager to find a job, and chatted to Oliver and his team about career prospects at Fifteen. It was a quiet word from Oliver to the head chef at the London restaurant, Andrew Parkinson that secured Poulton a trial, from which he was subsequently hired.
Nick Crofts-Smith, Head of Catering and Hospitality at Rotherham, said: “Jamie was instrumental in getting him a job. I think he’d have done well but in our industry doors open by people that you meet. It was really about saying to Jamie, ‘are there any jobs?’
“Michael was a great student, he always wanted to go and further his skills and look into other areas. He researched a lot, was very committed and had good craft skills, but needed that break to see it. He wanted to get a good job and he worked hard and he put the effort in with Jamie.”
Poulton impressed Parkinson during his trial at Fifteen so much he was hired as the kitchen’s new Commis Chef, and began work after completing his final qualification. “He`s a very good and competent young chef who`s loving his time here,” he said. The appointment is Poulton’s first full-time job in the industry.
Inspired by the movement to improve nutrition during WWII, Ministry of Food is Oliver’s latest crusade to improve the eating habits of Britain. Through using his ‘pass it on’ method of teaching recipes, he hopes to inspire the whole town of Rotherham to enjoy cooking. It is currently showing on Tuesdays on Channel Four.
