Charles sent 'fan letter' to Oliver (From Haringey Independent)

Charles sent 'fan letter' to Oliver

2:06pm Wednesday 10th September 2008 in

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The Prince of Wales wrote a "fan letter" to chef Jamie Oliver praising the celebrity for his campaign to get healthier meals served to school children.

Charles has confessed to putting pen to paper after the TV cook's show sparked a widescale debate about the dishes offered to youngsters.

In an interview with the National Trust magazine the Prince was asked about his views on celebrity chefs and replied: "There is no doubt that many chefs have done a huge amount to raise awareness of quality food and how it is produced. They have rekindled a fascination with food and I do congratulate them.

"Of course, Jamie Oliver's brilliant school-food campaign stands out and I have to confess that I wrote him a fan letter after his television series."

In the Channel 4 show Jamie's School Dinners, the chef campaigned to ban food such as Turkey Twizzlers from the menu.

In 2005 more than 270,000 people signed a petition which was delivered to Downing Street, calling for better nutrition in schools.

Changes followed, with Labour pledging money for better school meals and a ban on junk food.

The show went on to win a Bafta for Best Factual Series in 2006.