Whenever I see the byline Julie Burchill on a piece I just know I’m in for a literary treat. In this piece from the Spectator which I’m quoting from below, she lays into Jamie Oliver.

Speaking about the collapse of one of Jamie Oliver’s businesses, his Italian restaurant chain, which shafted his suppliers Ms Burchill said:

As with all narcissists, nothing is ever Oliver’s fault. Forever playing the noble victim, he once put criticism down to the fact that ‘part of it is because I’m from Essex, and whether colour or race or religion, there’s always prejudice, right?’ Some in the company blamed his sister’s husband for the failure of Jamie’s Italian – maybe next time hire someone on the basis of their ability, rather than their connection to your family, or would that flout the nepotistic code? – but it was obviously down to the vile food. Oliver defended his brother-in-law and may well have been ignorant of some of the business decisions but he would certainly have approved all the recipes; I’m sure he was thinking that us plebs would be too awed by his celebrity name to notice if he served substandard food at extortionate prices. It’s simply a display of contempt at every level: contempt for his customers, contempt for his creditors, contempt even for cookery. 

But it gets worse. His business defaulted on more than £1.3 million that was owed to local councils; £55,000 to Tower Hamlets, £108,000 to Liverpool, £90,000 to Manchester and £80,000 to Newham.

Another well deserved winning article from Ms Burchill