TO SOME he is an annoyingly hyperactive cook who sprinkles mockney words over his recipes and television programmes. Others credit him with ushering in a revolution in school dinners. But now Scottish academics have hailed Jamie Oliver as the creator of modern masculinity.

An entire morning of a three-day event, sponsored by the Association for Consumer Research, has been dedicated to exploring the cultural meaning of the celebrity chef.

A paper written by Douglas Brownlie and Paul Hewer, sociologists at Stirling University, will claim that Oliver has been responsible for substituting the kitchen for the building site or the shipyard as the principle venue for male bonding.

Their paper, a 2,000-word deconstruction of the imagery in Jamie Oliver’s cookbooks, is littered with phallic and homoerotic references, suggesting that his cooking is an elaborate means of exerting his masculinity.

Much of the study focuses on a section of Oliver’s 2000 book, The Return of the Naked Chef, entitled “Morning Glory” — about breakfasts.

It makes particular reference to a picture of the chef and one of his friends sitting on a kitchen floor “consuming what can only be described as over-sized bacon sandwiches”.

The study states: “A bottle of spicy HP sauce stands erect and uncapped between their legs. Plates rest on their legs, decorated with a dark clot of congealing sauce.

“In another context this could easily be a pair of scruffily dressed plumbers, electricians or joiners enjoying a well-earned break.”

They also suggest that Oliver demonstrates masculine traits such as strength, power and control while tenderly kneading dough and carefully making fresh pasta.

“Oliver’s books are heavily constructed to appeal to men, making it sexy for men to work (in the kitchen). ”

Times Recommends

• Sarah Brown says 'no thanks' to veal at G8 - twice
• Stockton-on-Tees is obesity capital of Britain
• Stores blame poor sales on Murray factor