Jamie seeks trainee chefs for Fifteen Cornwall - The Pasty sells saffron cakes from Cornwall and Cornish pasties

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has begun his search for a second batch of young trainee chefs for his restaurant at Watergate Bay, near Newquay.

The search is on for up to 30 student chefs, including reserves, to be trained at Cornwall College in January and start in the kitchen in May 2007. 21 students have already been trained by chefs at Fifteen Cornwall.

Jamie’s Fifteen restaurant in Cornwall is the third of its kind, following the restaurants in London and Amsterdam. The profit made from the restaurants pays for the development and training of disadvantaged youngsters, and helps them build careers in the restaurant industry.

Jamie’s fourth Fifteen restaurant is due to open in Melbourne soon.

Police have been authorised to arrest people who drink alcohol in public places in parts of the Kerrier district in west Cornwall.

In an attempt to curtail anti-social behaviour by drinkers, the Designated Public Place Orders have been issued in Helston, Redruth, Camborne and Portreath. Signs will be put on display in the areas that will be affected by the new laws.

Offenders can face a fine of up to £500 if convicted and police will also have the power to confiscate their alcohol.

The Kerrier District Council introduced the scheme in partnership with the relevant town and parish councils to put an end to aggressive behaviour from drinkers.

Rick Stein, Cornwall-based celebrity chef, was left distraught when two thieves stole his trademark Land Rover from a hotel in Italy.

The thieves broke into the car park of the hotel in Puglia, Italy where Stein and his production team were staying to film his new series, Rick Stein’s Mediterranean.

The chef’s distinctive blue Land Rover Defender, costing about £30,000, contained camera equipment and Stein’s favourite blue shirt, which the chef often wore onscreen.

Stein said: “The locals in Puglia are lovely people and the food is fabulous but this has left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth.

”Our parting shot is a sad-looking me, sitting on my suitcases with no Land Rover. The open-top Jeep we’ve hired to go to Corfu just isn’t the same.”

It is unlikely the thieves knew of the Defender’s celebrity status when they stole it, according to the director of the series, David Pritchard.

A 10 per cent tax could be imposed on takeaway meals in the South West, according to a proposal submitted to a Treasury-commissioned review.

Also a six per cent tax could be charged on sit-down meals in restaurants and pubs.

The taxes, which were proposed by Sir Michael Lyons, would increase government funds by £1.5 billion a year. Chancellor Gordon Brown had commissioned Sir Michael to find ways to net more money after concerns that the next round of council tax revaluation would see increased bills.

Westcountry tourism and business chiefs are concerned that the proposed taxes could severely damage the region’s holiday and tourism industry. Chief executive of South West Tourism, Malcolm Bell, labelled the tax proposals as “bordering on stupidity”. He said: “A measure like this will simply mean we will lose tourists to the foreign market.”

It is feared that more than 5,000 jobs could be on the line in the South West if the proposal is accepted.

Tim Jones, Devon and Cornwall Business Council chairman, said: “It’s nothing short of absolutely barking mad. It strikes at the heart of the Westcountry rural economy and will without doubt see businesses go bust.”

Proposals for a 5-10 per cent tax on the prices of hotels and bed and breakfast rooms were also made earlier this year.

Jamie Oliver wants to power his restaurant in Cornwall using wind energy in an attempt to save energy and halve his electricity bills.

The celebrity chef has applied to install two wind turbines on the roof of Fifteen in Watergate Bay, near Newquay.

The turbines would be 1.8m in diameter and painted the same colour as the restaurant’s roof to avoid becoming an eyesore.

Restaurant director Will Ashworth said: “The visual impact will be very low and the environmental impact very high. The only place you will be able to see them from is the beach.”

Fifteen in Cornwall is the third restaurant in Oliver’s chain, following those in London and Amsterdam. A fourth branch is due to open soon in Melbourne.

Around 20,000 people packed into Newlyn yesterday for the Cornish village’s annual fish festival.

The festival, which has been running for 16 years, aims to boost the profile of the fishing industry.

One of the day’s highlights was the lifeboat gig race, in which a number of gigs raced in Mount’s Bay to compete for the Trafalgar Trophy. The three-mile course started and finished in Newlyn.

Other features included an exhibition by Seafood Cornwall, local chefs giving cooking tips, and a variety of bands.

“The event is our biggest fundraising of the year and enables the Fishermen’s Mission to continue offering the support and help to the families and loved ones of fishermen who have lost their lives at sea,” Superintendent David Whitehead said.

The festival supports 26 charities who displayed their own merchandise and items at the event to raise funds.

The minimum size of lobsters that can be landed by fisherman could be increased under new measures being considered by the Government.

Fisherman would be banned from landing lobsters smaller than 90mm if proposals by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) are put into action.

The department is now consulting the fishing industry, conservationists and other parties on the plans, which are aimed at conserving England’s stock of European clawed common lobster.

Lobster stocks are currently sustainable but there are concerns that any increase in exploitation could significantly decrease numbers.

“The European clawed common lobster is one of the most valuable commercial species on the UK market,” Fisheries Minister Ben Bradshaw says.

“They take around six years to reach sexual maturity, and five to seven years to reach the current minimum catch size of 87mm. I believe that increasing the minimum landing size would result in a significant boost in egg production and would be relatively easy to enforce.”

The plans come after the Government decided against a ban on the landing of egg-bearing or “berried” lobsters.

Organisers of this year’s Newlyn Fish Festival are hoping to educate a wider audience on the versatility of pollack, a little known fish for which Newlyn is the UK’s main port. Seafood Cornwall are putting together a program of fish-related events to include talks and cooking demonstrations by top chefs. Along with pollack, they are also hoping to raise awareness of mackerel and monkfish. These fish are heavily used by the food-loving French, but Seafood Cornwall feel that the British public don’t know what they’re missing.

Project director, Nathan de Rozarieux said: “We believe that pollack is one of our best kept secrets and our expert chefs will be cooking over 12 different recipes with pollack and other local fish to show people how quick and easy it is to cook.”

With an amazing annual pollack haul of over 1000 tonnes, worth approx £2m in 2005, Seafood Cornwall hope to repeat the success they saw at last year’s Fish Festival at which they promoted megrim, sardine and spider crab.

Top chefs have been drafted from all over Cornwall for the planned masterclass sessions. They include Keir Meikle, Head Chef of the Navy Inn in Penzance and Des Turland, Head Chef from the Royal Duchy Hotel in Falmouth.

Mr de Rozarieux said: “People are often afraid of dealing with fish so our aim is to show that preparing fish or shellfish couldn’t be simpler.”

Visitors will be treated to a range of events including fish tasting, talks and presentations explaining how to prepare and cook fish and shellfish. Seafood Cornwall hope that when visiting tourists return home, they will ask for lesser known fish such as pollack at their local supermarkets. Newlyn Fish Festival is scheduled for Monday 28 August.