Speed book 'big challenge' - Oliver (From Thurrock Gazette)

Speed book 'big challenge' - Oliver

1:36pm Thursday 21st June 2012 in Entertainment News © Press Association 2013

Jamie Oliver says his latest project to create 15-minute meals will be the last time he cooks against the clock.

The chef is aiming to repeat the literary success of his 30 Minute Meals book which became the biggest-selling non-fiction title in UK history in 2010.

He is soon to release a collection of recipes which take only half that time, but said the effort involved in perfecting the fast food meant he would not be doing it again.

He said: "I'm glad it's all done - I won't ever do 'time' again but it was pretty much a response to the public, not just in Britain.

"It's so much more than what it sounds like. From my point of view, it was a really, really big challenge.

"It's almost like a science experiment, but ultimately, all the public will see is nice food, written in the most simple way possible."

Jamie - whose half-hour meal book sold in excess of 1.5 million copies - said his new recipes contained "wonderful variety", with meals averaging around 550 calories each.

The book is expected to be published by Penguin in September and there are high hopes it will be riding high in the Christmas best-seller lists. There will also be a TV tie-in on Channel 4.

Jamie is staging his music and food festival, The Big Feastival, again this summer with headliners such as Texas, Guillemots and Razorlight. It is being staged at Blur star Alex James's farm in Kingham, Oxfordshire, on September 1 and 2.