Jamie Oliver calls Melbourne 'drug plagued'
By FIONA HUDSON in London, and CARLY CRAWFORD
25jun06
GLOBE-TROTTING celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has described Melbourne as one of the most drug-plagued cities in the world.
In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Herald Sun, the English chef unleashed a broadside on the city's drug-addled underbelly.
Oliver revealed that the shock of seeing young drug addicts shooting up in St Kilda swayed him to choose Australia for his latest restaurant project.
"I've been loads of places, right, and Melbourne is the only place I have ever seen multiple kids jacking up on the street," Oliver said.
"Don't get me wrong, every city has its light and shade, but you do have your share of shade."
But Melbourne's city fathers have rejected Oliver's appraisal, saying the city's reputation for food attracted him here.
Fifteen Melbourne, a franchise of the flagship London restaurant where Oliver has for five years trained down-and-out kids as chefs, will open in September.
The venture is Oliver's first outside Europe.
"Most of our staff come from prison or drugs or alcohol," he said. "I think we're going to have a harder time with drugs in Melbourne than anywhere before."
City of Port Phillip mayor Janet Bolitho said Oliver's claims were out of touch.
"The drug problem is not as acute as it was a few years ago, but that's not to say there are not issues with youth disengagement," Cr Bolitho said.
She said the council had established a training program for at-risk youths.
Melbourne City Council preferred to believe the city's reputation for good food had attracted the world-famous chef.
"With over 800 restaurants and cafes in the CBD alone, Melbourne is the dining capital of Australia, so it's obvious why Jamie Oliver chose this city to open his restaurant later this year," Community Services Committee chair Cr David Wilson said.
A Victorian Government spokesperson welcomed Oliver to the state, saying his venture would help those in need.
David Crosbie, CEO of Victorian drug rehabilitation centre Odyssey House, agreed alienated young people were using drugs in "very devastating ways".
"The reality is they are using drugs openly, injecting in public, and we should be doing something about that," he said.
Youth worker Les Twentyman said providing young people with skilled work was a step in the right direction.
"It all goes back to unemployment. If young people have a job they have a sense of identity and they can pay the rent," he said.
Cameras will follow Oliver during his September visit for a documentary series about the birth of the Melbourne restaurant.
Oliver will perform several live shows in Sydney and Melbourne during his two-week stay.
And he hopes to take up an offer of a cameo appearance on TV series Neighbours.
"I might just do it for a laugh. I'm hoping the cast of Neighbours might come down to the restaurant. I'm a bit of a fan," he said.
The pukka tukka inventor also wants to see an AFL match.
"Lads running around in camp shorts beating the crap out of each other. It's a helluva game," he said.
The selection of 20 disadvantaged trainees from more than 2000 applications for the restaurant continues this week.
Director and head chef Tobie Puttock said interviews so far had been jaw-dropping.
"It's cemented my feeling there's a real need for something like this in Melbourne," he said.
