A former carpet-fitter who dropped out of school at 15 has been given his own gastropub - thanks to Jamie Oliver. Aaron Craze, 28, was one of four trainees competing for a chance to run The Cock, in Beazley End, Essex. His victory will be screened on Jamie's Chef on Wednesday night on C4. The father-of-two has his partner Nicci, 25, the mother of his two daughters, to thank for his success. After watching the series about the first intake of chefs at Fifteen, the east London restaurant set up by Jamie to train disadvantaged kids and young adults, she sent off for application forms and filled them in for him. Craze, who also worked as a grave-digger while drifting between jobs, was taught how to cook in Fifteen and went on to work at The Ivy and Claridges. The young chef revealed how he was born into a family of west London criminals. He told the Evening Standard: "They won't think twice about putting something over on someone, even their own family, they're pretty tough like that. On my dad's side, they're pretty bad people. To be in a family like that and the only one to break that cycle meant a lot to me. It doesn't matter where you're from as long as you know where you're going." Jamie said: "Aaron is a fantastic young chef who really works hard and creates brilliant food. He's really taken to running his own business and he's getting loads of customers through the door already. It's a tough business but I'm confident he'll do the job well." Viewers will be able to see Craze win the pub on Jamie's Chef on Wednesday at 9pm.
