Young can’t stand heat in Oliver kitchen

The star said all of his restaurants would shut immediately if he had to find only British staff.

Oliver recently sparked controversy when he said that he found it “hard to talk about modern-day poverty”, citing families forking out on giant televisions instead of healthy food.

Now he has told Good Housekeeping magazine: “The average working hours in a week was 80 to 100. That was really normal in my 20s.

“But the EU regulation now is 48 hours,which is half a week’s work for me. And they still whinge about it!

“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.”

Oliver said: “It’s all very well when people are slagging off immigration and I’m sure there are problems. Older people always complain about youth and I think it’s a good thing because it is always changing. The young will be better at different things. But long hours in hot kitchens is not one of them!”