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Jamie Oliver has assumed many incarnations: laddish cook, local-food champion, pig-farm investigator, nutrition crusader and bestselling author. In his latest role, the chef will play the part of political darling, hand-picked by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to cook for G20 leaders in London today at 10 Downing St.

The choice of the budget-conscious Mr. Oliver in the current economic climate - London police expected violent protests today, dubbed "Financial Fools' Day" by anti-capitalist groups - is "a PR masterstroke on the part of the government," says Rodney Barker, a political scientist and commentator at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

"When the powerful of the world meet together," he says, "they normally treat themselves with unimaginative luxury: plenty of staff, cars, expenditure, and very expensive food." Indeed, at last year's G8 meeting in Japan, world leaders including Mr. Brown indulged in a lavish eight-course dinner before discussing the growing global food crisis. The meal, which featured 18 dishes including caviar, champagne and a "fantasy dessert" was widely criticized in the press.

Mr. Oliver's G20 menu is expected to be much more down-to-earth, showcasing British ingredients. And the 33-year-old chef seems aware of the optics he must navigate. Mr. Oliver told The Observer that when Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Family phoned him with the offer, he replied by saying, "It'll be my honour. ... But I know me; you know the British press ... a cook's really political." So the dinner, he said, would be, "What I choose. How I cook it. I've got to be clever. I'm not going to rattle out a foie gras and noisettes of whatever. Actually, I like the idea of stew and dumplings."

Assisting Mr. Oliver prepare the dishes will be graduates and apprentice chefs from Fifteen in London, the restaurant he created in 2002 to give disadvantaged young people a chance at a fresh start in the kitchen. "I'm hoping that the menu ... will show that British food and produce is some of the best of the world but also show that we have pioneered a high quality apprentice scheme at Fifteen," he told the British press.

The official menu will only be released later today, giving critics no time to find fault with the dishes before leaders such as Barack Obama taste a forkful. But The Telegraph is reporting that Mr. Oliver will serve a suitably simple meal: Welsh lamb, English asparagus and flat bread seasoned with wild garlic. By several accounts he has spent the last week sourcing ingredients from his suppliers all over Britain. The only thing that a spokesperson has confirmed is that pork will not be featured so as not to offend Muslim diners.

Taking such dietary requirements into consideration is crucial when planning such a dinner, says Chris Barber, who cooked hundreds of meals for numerous dignitaries during his time as chef to the Queen and personal chef to Prince Charles at St. James's Palace.

"If you were cooking for a world leader or a group of world leaders, you would look at who is coming and try to make a menu that wouldn't offend anyone," he says.

The other secret to a successful state dinner is "manpower," says Yann Barraud, head chef at Le Cordon Bleu London. Mr. Oliver's team from Fifteen will be busy. "You have to be able to deliver the freshest of ingredients, cooked on the spot. For that, a chef will need a team big enough - and perfectly trained - to be able to prepare everything at the last minute, for all the ingredients to be as fresh as possible."

Cooking for world leaders gives Mr. Oliver "an opportunity to sell Britain, to come across as professional, inventive, creative, and to market British food to them," Mr. Barber says. "My view is that when G20 leaders leave the U.K., you want them to say 'That was quite good.' " He adds, "You want to make sure what you've got on the plate would be a true reflection of modern Britain."

Spring lamb would be a good choice, Mr. Barber says. However, he warns that Mr. Oliver faces a challenge if he chooses to cook mainly with regional foods. "It's the worst possible season to have anything local because we're just coming out of winter. Things aren't growing at the moment - only cabbage and rhubarb."

But Jamie Oliver's greatest challenge tonight might have nothing to do with ingredients or picky politicians. His wife, Jools, is due to give birth to the couple's third child and security rules require Mr. Oliver to hand over his cellphone when he enters the residence of the Prime Minister. If she goes into labour a day early, Mr. Oliver will have to be alerted by Downing Street officials.