Once in a while someone appears on our TV screens who almost all of us likes. When he launched himself as The Naked Chef 10 years ago, Jamie Oliver appealed to everyone, from students to pensioners to those who fancied their hands in the kitchen but didn’t know a spatula from a spanner. He filled a gap – ‘naked’ referred to his raw approach and refreshing candour, and he became the poster boy for many fainthearted cooks who loved his rough-round-the-edges bonhomie.

A certain cutting down to size was predictable after his initial flush of exposure, but that can probably be regarded as tall poppy syndrome (we don’t want anyone to do too well, do we?) and, perplexing “pukka” expletives aside, Jamie Oliver is still a well regarded chef with more to his repertoire than an extra drizzling of extra virgin olive oil.

Take all those supermarket adverts – when the chain unveiled its new campaign in 2005, it captured the imagination of shoppers. Sales of pork and apple sausages soared when Jamie Oliver cooked them on TV. And the supermarket in question continues to work with Jamie because it sees an underlying integrity in him which brings in the customers. Putting his money where his mouth is by giving those from disadvantaged backgrounds the chance to become great chefs via his Fifteen project and latterly taking on the entire Government over the state of children’s food in Jamie’s School Dinners have clearly had an effect.

In fact, Jamie’s one-man mission to change the way children eat was the real deal. His impact was so colossal that he was voted Most Inspiring Political Figure in a poll run by Channel 4 News, taking nearly 40 per cent of the votes and easily beating more conventional figures in that genre like Tony Blair, David Cameron, and even Sir Bob Geldof.

The commotion Jamie’s School Dinners made wasn’t confined to the kitchen. Ministers promised an extra £280m to improve school meals in England after the furore that was caused. Jamie Oliver has proven what can be achieved with hard work, determination and a sense of pride in what you do.

Fifteen first opened in London in 2002, then a second outlet in Amsterdam was launched two years later. Now, a third venture will be opening in Cornwall this spring, catering for foodies and surfers alike. The idea is to draw on the fabulous local produce and let people eat it amid the glorious natural surroundings of Watergate Bay on the north Cornish coast.

Fifteen Cornwall will share the location of the Watergate Bay Hotel, which also runs The Extreme Academy, a centre for aspiring surfers and those wanting to learn other beach sports. The restaurant will be designed by a local Cornish company, Absolute Design, while Jamie and his team will create a menu that will focus on seasonal local produce. Trainees will be recruited through local radio and press, Cornish youth organisations and young offenders’ institutions, giving youngsters in the area an opportunity to develop a world-class career.

q & a with jamie
yeahbaby caught up with Jamie and he tells us how great it is to experience both extreme sports and a blooming good meal

yeahbaby: What drew you to Cornwall?
Jamie Oliver: We were approached by the Ashworth brothers who own the Watergate Bay Hotel. I loved the location right on the beach and know that most of Cornwall’s revenue is generated from hospitality, but young people there are not able to gain the right skill sets to pursue a career in catering – so all in all it was a great proposition for us.

What look have you gone for in the restaurant?
The restaurant overlooks the beach and so the modern funky vibe of Fifteen London has been adapted to suit the space. The view is amazing and we have floor-to-ceiling windows which in the summer will be wide open.

Foodwise, what are the benefits of having a restaurant in this part of the world?
We will be concentrating on using as much local produce as possible. Cornwall has fantastic seafood, rare breed meats and organic veg, all supported by passionate local farmers and producers.

What local produce will be featured on the menu?
About 80 per cent of the menu will use local produce and will lean heavily towards seafood. The exact dishes are being worked on now.

Three years down the track, how have things progressed since you started Fifteen in London?
Well, we now have two Fifteens – London and Amsterdam – and by the end of this year we will have added Cornwall and Melbourne. With that scale comes the need to be well organised. I have a team of great people to hold it together and push forward. Our Dutch partners showed that Fifteen can thrive outside London and without me being around. But I started Fifteen with a passion to get behind young people. That will never change wherever we open an outlet. We’ve just recruited the fifth group of youngsters for London. Again, hundreds applied. It was humbling to see their desire, to hear their stories and know that we can really help transform lives.

How difficult is it to make the cut and decide on the 15 people to work in the restaurant and embark on a new life?
It’s hard. There are always way more applicants that we can offer a place to. But we have got better at trying to suss early on who really wants to be a chef and has got what it takes to deal with the long hours and pressure of the kitchen. We’re learning all the time how to do it better. The recruitment of the Cornish young people was brilliant and we were amazed at how many wanted to join us.

Where do you envisage these people will be in 10 years?
I hope they will all be enjoying a great career in catering.

Healthy school dinners, helping young adults change their lives… what role did having children of your own play in making you want to help others?
Being a dad played a huge part in the Jamie’s School Dinners series and the Feed Me Better campaign. When we had Poppy and Daisy, I became more interested in the diets of young kids and once I started looking into it, I was shocked at the lack of education about food within schools. It snowballed from there really.
The Fifteen Foundation was something I have always wanted to do since I started out in cooking. I was working in the River Café in London when I had the idea through talking with my friends. I was never very good at school but I had a determination and enthusiasm about food that I wanted to get across to other people. Now I am in a position to inspire and give support to kids that would otherwise not get into cooking – not because they lack passion or ability but because they lack the opportunity.

Speaking of your children, are Poppy and Daisy beach lovers? What do they like to do in Cornwall?
Don’t all kids love playing on the beach? From flying kites to building sandcastles. Poppy and Daisy love getting out and playing in the fresh air – and Cornwall has some beautiful beaches.

Are you doing much surfing these days? Any tips for first-time visitors to Cornwall beaches?
I would love to have the time to surf but I am pretty busy at the moment. If I had to give you any tips, I would say take a fantastic packed lunch and take the whole family down to the beach to play loads of games and have a go at all the water sports available.

Fifteen Cornwall is at The Extreme Academy in Watergate - have you had a chance to check out any of the activities on offer there?
I haven’t had much chance to have a go at all the activities down at Watergate recently – but I love all of that, and will definitely have a go at some point.

Fifteen Melbourne is planned for later in the year – where next?
This is a really exciting year for the Fifteen Foundation – with Cornwall and Melbourne opening in the same year. The foundation is always looking at other locations and we hope to make it a global enterprise. At the moment, we haven’t decided on the next location, but just watch this space.

What about you? What’s next on your list of things to do?
This year my new invention, the Flavour Shaker, which was launched in the UK last year, is launching in a number of other countries and we will be working hard to support that. We also have the two Fifteen restaurants opening, and in London we are recruiting our fifth year of students. This year, I will also be revisiting the schools in Greenwich to see how they are doing with their new menus. I’ve got a few holidays booked in as well which I always look forward to because it’s great time with Jools and the girls.

Finally, have you ever had a total disaster in the kitchen?
Not recently… well not that I can remember, but I’ve definitely had little accidents, like burning myself and cutting my fingers with a knife… So the usual stuff but I guess that’s an occupational hazard when you work in a kitchen.

jamie’s top 5 local foodie haunts in cornwall

1 Kittow Bros, St Blazey: “Fifth generation butchers supplying great quality locally-reared meats, including some traditional and rare breeds.”
2 Matthew Stevens & Son, St Ives: “Matt is a legend in Cornwall. He supplies the freshest local seafood you’ll ever taste.”
3 St Austell Brewery, St Austell: “Good beer is as important as anything else. St Austell Brewery has been going for 150 years, and they know how to make a good pint.”
4 Barwick Farm, Truro: “The Michell family make great butter, cream and all sorts of dairy produce from the milk of their Jersey cows. This is old-fashioned stuff and tastes superb.”
5 Bodinnick Farm, St Austell: “Organic beef and lamb, slowly reared to allow it to develop really good flavour and texture.”

* fly to newquay from manchester and durham tees valley.
log onto bmibaby.com for routes and fares

Photography: Jamie Oliver by ChrisTerry