By producer Richard Herd
Jamie Oliver's Food Tube channel is now the fastest growing foodie platform on YouTube in Europe and for good reason - it's got it all and we are massively proud of it.
When we started out on this journey, with a Jamie-fronted live show in January, we knew it was going to be a hothouse for new faces as well as helping to breathe new life into online cooking videos; but little did we know that it would be greeted with such acclaim: we are now at 350,000 subscribers and growing by around 10,000 each week.
Our main objective was clear, to give the YouTube audience what they wanted, that meant Jamie and his passion for good food, but also his uncanny ability to seek out and nurture new talent.
Jamie is so hands-on, it's his baby and he loves it; and he really loves getting creative and pushing the boundaries of food broadcasting; I can say that I haven't had this much fun making programmes in a very long time.
Among Jamie's Food Tube gang is DJ BBQ, the larger-than-life American renowned for his smokehouse skills and spandex catsuits, he was seen in the last live show marinating his meat with water pistols filled with apple juice! The rib video below will have you drooling for more!
Jamie's love of Italian food comes through with the amazing Amalfi maestro Gennaro Contaldo and the gorgeous Chiappa sisters all extolling the virtues of good produce and energetic, passionate cooking. Gennaro's series of films from his motherland are among the most viewed on the channel - rice in Turin, lemons in Amalfi, ragu in Minori, all big-hitters.
Youthful Irish talent comes in the form of Donal Skehan, baking perfection from Jemma Wilson and her famous cupcakes, home cooking and family classics from Fifteen graduate Kerryann Dunlop, Rude Boy Aaron Craze and loads, loads more (200 videos and counting).
But of course there's Jamie himself, hosting video masterclasses and tips on gorgeous treats such as homemade mayonnaise or perfect crackling as well as some slightly unhinged, mad, mash-up moments with the righteous talents of Epic Mealtimes and Sorted Food.
"It's been a fantastic year," Jamie said, "I'm really excited about all the plans and we're going to get even better in 2014 and beyond. Our talent is top-notch, the crew is super-skilled with TV broadcast backgrounds and I know people are loving it."
With Jamie in the driving seat every day is a school day and in the latest video he shows us how to get the best from a few bits of burning wood and some long lamb chops giving this gorgeous lamb recipe a twist with hits of Italian and Greek herbs and spices - Mediterranean bliss. Created with an amazing rub and roast veg to die for this is pretty close to heaven.
I was on this shoot and I can tell you it was the best lamb I have ever tasted.
So climb aboard the Food Tube, tell your friends, share the love and subscribe to get the latest videos from Jamie and the Food Tube Family. Click here it's - free! goo.gl/v0tQr