How Much Does It Cost To Hire Jamie Oliver?

Jamie Oliver used to be known as the Naked Chef — not for cooking in the nude (too much potential for burns!), but for his stripped-down method of cooking, bringing the process down to the essentials and making it more accessible to the average person. He has also done a lot to promote nutrition and health, trying to get people to improve their eating habits and have access to (and knowledge about) healthy food. Learning to cook and eating nutritious food are both important aspects of health, so those looking to get healthy or learn about nutrition may want to hire Jamie Oliver for their event.

Many different things factor into the cost of hiring a celebrity chef, and it won't come cheap, especially for someone of Oliver's caliber — he's very popular internationally and has starred in shows on BBC in the United Kingdom, as well as Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, where Oliver traveled to Huntington, West Virginia to get people to improve their eating habits. 

All told, Oliver has starred on 15 television shows and specials, airing in over 100 countries (via Celebrity Speakers Bureau). He has written 10 books that have been translated into more than 30 languages, and in 2013, started a digital television platform called Food Tube to highlight new cooking talent.

Other commitments Oliver has will factor into cost and availability, as chefs in higher demand command a higher fee for engagements. Oliver is a food editor for British GQ and Marie Claire UK, as well as a columnist for the Saturday Times Magazine. He started a non-profit restaurant, Fifteen, to train unemployed young people to give them the skills to work in a restaurant (via Celebrity Talent International).

Oliver is available to speak at a variety of events, and the fee for speaking is usually higher than the fee to just make an appearance. In addition to the variances in fees for the type of appearance, there can be cost fluctuations based on the booking agent. Celebrity Chef Network lists his starting fee at $100,000 and up, while Celebrity Talent International lists a fee of between $300,000 and $499,999 (though the latter specifies the fees listed are for U.S. dates). Appearances related to health and nutrition that include demonstrations are also likely to cost more, and of course, the location of the event will factor into the final fee.

Hiring Jamie Oliver isn't cheap, but if you have the budget, he is a celebrity chef that will bring more to your event than most, making it a memorable occasion that is worthwhile for attendees.