Trend 1: Rise of the celebrity chef
Chef’s tables, cooking challenges with paying audiences, guest appearances – we may be growing tired of famous TV personalities (so long Gordon Ramsay and Dubai restaurant, Verre), but the emergence of a strong new trend of turning chefs in our favourite restaurants into celebrities in their own right is evident.
It was in November 2011 that Wesley Berghoff won the Time Out Dubai Young Chef of the Year competition. It was a great accolade to win, and brought recognition in itself, but because the competition was live, and open to paying audience members, Berghoff was instantly catapulted up to the status of an eminent figure of authority.
“I agree that more than ever consumers are very focused on the chef,” says Berghoff. “They no longer want to just go for a meal, they want to go for an experience. And they want to know who is responsible for that experience. With so many accomplished chefs doing cooking shows, I think the trend will continue to grow long after 2012.
“I loved the high pressure of the Time Out competition,” he continues. “But more than being seen as a celebrity, I want to run a good restaurant that people love to dine in – although, if this means getting celebrity status with the perks it brings, I wouldn’t say no!”
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