Open for business... fresh food ideasat Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food

Martin Slack

COOKERY teachers at Jamie Oliver’s first Ministry of Food yesterday confounded predictions they were to shut up shop and instead unveiled a new drive towards healthy eating.

The celebrity chef, who launched the initiative in Rotherham in 2008 alongside a reality TV programme, had spoken of his concerns over council backing for the scheme.

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But yesterday, Rotherham mayor Coun Rose McNeely re-opened the shop in the town’s All Saints Square and sampled some of the new food ideas which Oliver’s team have created.

Since its Rotherham launch, two other “ministries” have opened in Yorkshire, in Leeds and Bradford, and all three are designed to teach how to cook good food on a budget.

According to staff at the Rotherham shop, more than 6,000 local people of all ages have received a cookery lesson, while around 150 people use the centre in a typical week.

The shop also works with local catering students and helps people find jobs and work experience in food-related industries, and teaches professional skills and qualifications.

The council has supported the centre, which costs around 130,000 a year to run, over the last two years and helped to pay for the refurbishment which has taken place.