We Rank 10 Of Our All-Time Favorite Jamie Oliver Cooking Shows

Do you love Jamie Oliver as much as we do? Whether he’s in the kitchen whipping up a dish, going around the countryside in search of valuable ingredients, or advocating his healthy eating campaigns, you got to love this charming English bloke who knows his way around the kitchen while winning everyone’s hearts and appetite. Having watched his evolution in his 20 years in television, we’ve ranked from number 10 to 1 our all-time most enjoyable and informative Jamie shows on TV. What’s great is you can still catch his older shows on cable television or online, like Jamie’s Britain currently airing on Metro Channel.

 

10. Jamie’s Ministry of Food (aired 2008, 4 episodes)

In this 4-part series, Jamie challenges the citizens of Rotherham, South Yorkshire to learn how to cook and embrace a healthier lifestyle. Using the “Pass It On” Campaign, Jamie teaches individuals from the town through several cooking initiatives like organizing small cooking sessions and food festivals, which the students in turn pass on their learnings to their contacts.

 

 

9. Jamie’s Great Britain (aired 2011, 6 episodes)

Celebrating all kinds of deliciously British as Jamie describes it, the show presents the ever-eager Mr. Oliver travelling all over the country in search of new recipe ideas, dish inspirations, and renewing his appreciation of what makes British food so great. From quintessential English pies to fusion favorites like Indian Roast Chicken, Jamie’s Great Britain also showcases a slew of dishes that have brought joy, comfort, and pride to all corners of Great Britain.  

 

 

8. The Naked Chef (aired 1999, 25 episodes)

The Naked Chef introduced us to a fresh-faced Jamie Oliver with a charming English lisp and a strong passion for cooking. Each episode centers on a daily activity. Whether cooking for his boss or throwing a birthday barbecue for a friend, Jamie charms us with his down-to-earth sensibilities and sincerity around the kitchen.     

 

 

7. Oliver’s Twist (aired 2002, 52 episodes)

While his first television show introduced Jamie as an English guy who can cook, Oliver’s Twist catapulted the boy from Essex into the international cooking scene, making Jamie Oliver a household name. Made with a conventional cooking show format, Jamie Oliver charmed his way around the show as he rode around London looking for ingredients, cooked in his kitchen, and concluded each episode with a hearty meal with the party he cooked for. 

 

 

6. Jamie’s School Dinners (aired 2005, 4 episodes)
In School Dinners, Jamie goes on a crusade to save children from unhealthy meals that have plagued elementary schools due to low government budgets and continuous bad eating habits that start in the home. With challenges like going head-to-head with the school lunch lady to complaints coming directly from the kids and their parents, you’d think Jamie is way over his head with his campaign. But with perseverance and eventual cooperation from everyone involved, the series ends on a great note. The then Prime Minister took steps to improving the school dinners programs, and developments such as cutting down on fried food and removal of soft drinks were implemented across Britain schools. The show got an eventual follow-up in the 2007 series, Jamie's Return to School Dinners.  

 

 

5. Jamie & Jimmy's Friday Night Feast (first aired 2014 and still ongoing, 36 episodes)

Together with his childhood friend Jimmy Doherty, Jamie cooks up an assortment of dishes and celebrates like a feast together with guest celebrities and common folks from around the area. Each episode consists of the following: a comfort food recipe made by Jamie, a nostalgic dish whipped with an invited celebrity (some big names include Kate Hudson, Usain Bolt, Orlando Bloom, Liv Tyler, and Josh Hartnett), a Food Fight dish, and a D-I-Y cooking contraption created by Jimmy.   

 

 

4. Jamie’s 15-Minute Meals (aired 2012, 40 episodes)

This show is a follow-up to his widely successful Jamie’s 30-Minute Meals. Based on his book, Jamie’s 15-Minute Meals, this cooking show is made especially for viewers who are time poor but would still rather cook homemade meals at home. What’s endearing about this series is how Jamie really exerts the importance of prepping of ingredients beforehand and thinking about maximizing the flavors of each element, so anyone within a time limit can still enjoy a complete meal even if it’s made in just a flash.     

 

 

3. Jamie at Home (aired 2007, 26 episodes)

This show presents Jamie in his most natural element—at home. Shot in his residence in rural Essex, Jamie harvests and cooks different ingredients grown organically in his rustic vegetable gardens and farm. Each episode focuses on an ingredient—from tomatoes, carrots, mushrooms to proteins like lamb and eggs—which are then highlighted with cute drawings, cooking notes, scribbles in between transitions, adding personality and quirkiness to each segment. The closing song sung by Tim Kay also puts anyone in a much-needed feel good mood.   

 

 

2. Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution (aired 2010, 12 episodes)

Produced together with Ryan Seacrest, Food Revolution brought Jamie to America where he campaigned for U.S. school lunch reforms as well as advocated for healthy living, against the growing statistics of obesity in the country. Part Ministry of Food, part School Dinners, Jamie and his team did their best to work through the stubborn school systems of America by showcasing their campaign in creative ways. The show even won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality Program.     

 

 

1. Jamie's Comfort Food (aired 2014, 8 episodes)

This 2014 show presents Jamie in what he makes best in the kitchen: comfort food. In each episode, Jamie, together with a loved one or a friend, cooks and eats dreamy dishes like Lobster Mac and Cheese, Steak Sandwich, the Ultimate Burger, and heavenly creations like Marshmallow Pavlova, Hummingbird Cake, Chocolate Nougat Cake, plus British comfort classics done exceptionally such as Shepherd’s Pie, Sticky Toffee Pudding, and Fish and Chips. With footage that captures trance-like slow motion scenes and food porn-level close-up shots, the show just makes you want to get up from your couch and cook up something comforting and delicious for yourself.

 

 

Catch episodes of Jamie’s Great Britain airing Sunday, February 3 at 10 am, and on weekdays on Metro Channel, channel 52 on SkyCable and channel 174 on HD. Check Metro Channel on Facebook for the weekly schedule.

 

Lead images from @jamieoliver