Modern lifestyles affecting food quality says chef

 Consumers with modern fast-paced, adrenalin-driven lifestyles want menus that meet their demand for novelty, according to Fonterra food services Chef Peter Hallmanns.

“The good old days of a steak, chips and creamy pepper sauce are over,” said Hallmanns. “There is an increasing demand for a more exciting, exhilarating, social lifestyle and F&B outlets need to satisfy that as well. People no longer expect just to go out, look at a menu and eat. They want ‘menutainment’; their evening is actually more about the entertainment side of the evening than about the eating side.”

Hallmanns believes that this increasing demand for a socially-driven lifestyle has also affected the quality of new chefs entering the trade, as would-be chefs are deterred from continuing their progression by the unsociable working hours.

“People don’t want to work these hours any longer,” said Hallmanns. “The passion and commitment it takes to become a really good chef is not for everyone.”

Hallmanns said that onus is now on the manufacturers to create products that can substitute for the skills gap in the industry.

“The youngsters are not coming up. People tell me they don’t have the pool of resources would like to draw from, so it becomes the manufacturer’s responsibility to replace this skills gap.”

Hallmanns said that the new challenges for chefs today is to provide the excitement and entertainment that consumers now expect:

“Today food takes second place. It’s the friend you’re with, the ambience, the vibe of the place. That excitement that the food can bring to the social lifestyle you are seeking. That is the challenge for chefs today. To identify what customers want.”