Some readers may know I love using social media. I tweet, post Instagram photos, share Facebook status updates, and use LinkedIn to network with restaurateurs and hoteliers. It was affirming when celebrated Michelin–starred chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten posted an Instagram photo of my interview notes in shorthand. So it was very interesting to find a very social–filled issue this month.

From bar operators to chefs, everyone was talking about social media this month. It was encouraging to see the results of the Caterer Middle East Head Chef Survey this year. For the first time, we asked chefs to tell us what social media platforms they used, with the main choices being Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.

In response, we found 78% claimed to use Facebook, 68% said LinkedIn, 58% on Instagram, 38% Twitter, and only 11% liked Pinterest.

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A range of responses from chefs we questioned later showed that they enjoyed sharing the visual aspect of what they did — hence Instagram being a favourite.

Be Supernatural’s Hayley MacDonald and InterContinental Dubai Marina’s Manish Thakur said that posting photos of a dish on either Instagram or Facebook resulted in increased sales of that particular item over the next day or two. Free subliminal advertising — brilliant!

Boca head chef Maxime Le Van also said: “People come [to the restaurant] and point to Instagram, and say they want this, this or that. If people who have 100,000 followers or 150,000 followers post a photo of your dish, you know it’s going to be the best–seller for the next three weeks.”

In a competitive market like the Middle East, where new restaurants open every week, it’s important to ‘be seen’. Many chefs who responded to the survey said competition was rife, and one said that a challenge in the next 12 months would be to maintain “a presence in a rapidly growing and competitive market where there is not enough population to support the growth”.

How do they do that? Social is just one way. But the challenge with social media is the growing number of platforms, and keeping up with them. As Martin Kubler pointed out in the survey report, are chefs using Meerkat and Periscope? What about Snapchat? Is anyone on that medium? Is it even worthwhile to invest time in these new apps?

Only time will tell. In the meanwhile, don’t forget to connect — with me or Caterer — on our social media platforms. We promise to keep you engaged.