Glasgow celebrity chefs in call to end child poverty

Behind all the carry-on dished up by Julie Lin, Jimmy Lee and Sean Batty when they got together with children from Neilston’s Totnosh junior cookery school, however, was a deeply serious message.

“It boggles my mind that we still have kids going hungry in this country,” says Julie, the Saturday Kitchen, MasterChef and Hairy Bikers star who runs GaGa in Partick.

“It’s such a basic thing – if you feel nourished, you can go to school and learn; if you’re hungry, you just can’t.”

Jimmy agrees. “It’s heartbreaking child poverty still exists,” he says. “It needs to be eradicated.”

Julie and Jimmy, who worked together on STV’s cooking show Hot Woks, are helping the channel launch its Big Scottish Breakfast Campaign, which aims to raise money for children affected by poverty across Scotland.

Organisers are inviting friends, families, colleagues and classmates to make some time to have breakfast together on one morning between September 11 and 15.

Julie Lin and Jimmy Lee (Image: STV)

To inspire viewers, Julie and Jimmy made their favourite breakfast dishes and asked the young cooks at Totnosh to decide which was the best - with Sean acting as referee.

Julie made bacon fried rice but admitted she is “quite a simple breakfast person” usually.

 Julie's dish (Image: STV)

She added, with a laugh: “It’s not always breakfast fried rice in the Lin household, let me tell you. I love thick-cut, heavily-buttered toast with sliced, smooshed banana on top. It’s something I remember having as a child and still get so much joy from.”

Jimmy, star of Great British Menu and TikTok, who runs Salt and Chilli and Lychee Oriental in Glasgow, made congee, or Chinese rice porridge.

“Congee just makes me think of my childhood,” he says. “It takes me back to my happy place with my family as a kid.”

Jimmy's dish (Image: STV)

Jimmy was inspired to cook by his dad, who ran the Kam Wa takeaway in Hamilton.

“I worked in another takeaway he ran when I was 16 and learnt the ropes from scratch,” explains Jimmy. “Chinese parents being Chinese parents, they egged me on to go to university, so I’m a qualified accountant. But my heart was always in the catering industry.”

Jimmy has recently become a TikTok sensation, with his 60-second viral videos showing how to serve up Cantonese favourites in a flash amassing more than 10 million views.

Sean Batty with some of the young cooks (Image: STV)

“It has certainly helped me reach a younger audience,” he says, smiling. “During Covid, when my restaurant was closed, I just got really bored and sat and watched TikTok videos all the time.

“I’m actually building a YouTube channel at the moment. TikTok only allows for minute-long videos, and they’re there for fun and entertainment, but I want to have a platform to actually show people how to cook Chinese takeaway classics – so keep your eyes peeled.”

It is almost 10 years since Julie shot to fame on BBC cookery show MasterChef, although her love of baking and cooking goes all the way back to her childhood.

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“My childminder, Carol, used to cook and bake so many lovely things, and was always so nurturing,” she says. “Carol even managed to make comfort food like beans on toast taste better.

“My mum was also an inspiration. She cooked a far different repertoire of food – there were always lots of soy sauce bottles everywhere. Her Malaysian chicken curry was to die for. Through Carol and my mum, I’ve formed a love of lots of different foods – not just Malaysian cuisine, but all the Scottish home comforts too.”

After a busy year, which included appearances on The Hairy Bikers and Saturday Kitchen, Julie is now planning her next move.

“I’m currently discussing book deals, so watch this space,” she says. “I think the highlight of the last 10 years has been finally achieving my dream of having my own restaurant and proving to myself that I could go out and do that.

“My career hasn’t really had a specific path, but I’ve really enjoyed getting to do all these amazing things - from radio and TV presenting, to teaching women in the community how to cook, to supporting brilliant causes like the STV Children’s Appeal.”

She adds: “It was great to be reunited with Jimmy, and Sean was, as always, a very vibrant, fun soul to be around. We couldn’t have asked for a better referee.

“Highlighting issues like child poverty is the number one most important thing I could do. It’s so important for people with a platform to use their voice for good.

“It’s sad that it’s needed, but also brilliant that the STV Children’s Appeal exists and can raise awareness and money for young people in Scotland.”

Sean said: “Getting your friends, family, colleagues or classmates together to share breakfast may seem like an easy thing to do, but the impact it can have on the lives of children affected by poverty in Scotland is enormous.

“And as delicious as their breakfast treats were, you don’t have to be a celebrity chef like Julie or Jimmy – even a few simple bowls of corn flakes will help to make such a difference.”

The Big Scottish Breakfast takes place across Scotland between September 11 and 15. You can download a fundraising pack at stvappeal.tv