Jamie Oliver

Many kids can tell you about drugs but do not know what celery or courgettes taste like.

I could cook from quite an early age - purely because I liked it.

The public health of five million children should not be left to luck or chance.

I like ties but I prefer not to wear one when I'm nervous.

My general rule is that if everyone knew how to cook fresh produce from their local area, and Monday to Thursday within 20 minutes, you know, there's millions of recipes out there to be had.

I love roasting because you can give it love, get it in the oven and go and play with the kids or whatever you've got to do, and then hours later you've got a lovely dinner.

I think there are definitely two types of student: the academic kids and the 50% who fail. It's very clear to see - it's fact. We're not doing enough for those who fail; they need a more physical, tactile approach, involving people skills, team-building, problem-solving, building things.

Give your kids a bloody knife and fork and let me put some fresh food in front of them they can eat.

As usual, my timing is bizarrely good.

Stop being a vegan and start enjoying what you eat.

I wouldn't say that processed food, ready meals and even takeaways aren't relevant to modern life, it's just that over the past 40 years there are three generations of people who have come out of school and gone through their home life without ever being shown how to cook properly.

I'm probably a bit romantic about it, but I think we humans miss having contact with fire. We need it.

When I was a schoolkid, I went to Castleton quite a few times. We'd be there studying rocks, going down these big hills. It was a great place!

I want Americans to enjoy food. I want them to celebrate food. I want them to, on occasions, to have big cakes and great things. And I want them to indulge.

We're in a situation now where weight and extreme weight and heart disease is the biggest killer in this country today.

The kitchen oven is reliable, but it's made us lazy.

Its very clear that theres a lot of double standards going on. Should there be a 30mph speed limit Of course there bloody should. And certainly with kids and school food kids need to be nannied for sure. So give them a bloody good meal at school.

I left school with basically nothing, I was a special needs kid. I did feel as though my school had let me down.

Sugar is the next tobacco, without a doubt, and that industry should be scared. It should be taxed just like tobacco and anything else that can, frankly, destroy lives.

I've cooked just about everything really.

What I've enjoyed most, though, is meeting people who have a real interest in food and sharing ideas with them. Good food is a global thing and I find that there is always something new and amazing to learn - I love it!

My general rule is that if everyone knew how to cook fresh produce from their local area and Monday to Thursday within 20 minutes you know theres millions of recipes out there to be had.

All I ever wanted to do was to make food accessible to everyone; to show that you can make mistakes - I do all the time - but it doesn't matter.

God, why do I give interviews to 'the Guardian'? They always try to dissect you, and I don't really think about stuff in the way that you're asking me these questions.

It's not the extremes and the treats that are the problem. It's the everyday.

I wouldnt say that processed food ready meals and oven takeaways arent relevant to modern life its just that over the past 40 years there are three generations of people who have come out of school and gone through their home life without ever being shown how to cook properly.

I challenge you, to go to any school and open 50 lunchboxes, and I guarantee you there will be one or two cans of Red Bull, there'll be cold McDonald's and jam sandwiches with several cakes.

Young people can be disruptive and screw up classes. But even if they are being a pain in the arse it's a cry for help - they don't feel like they are being listened to.

My first outdoor cooking memories are full of erratic British summers, Dad swearing at a barbecue that he couldn't put together, and eventually eating charred sausages, feeling brilliant.

If you only design menus that are essentially junk or fast food, the whole infrastructure supports junk.