Today’s band of celebrity chefs has a huge influence on consumers — and by using their high profiles to educate the public, they are simultaneously revolutionising the F&B industry
The F&B industry is undoubtedly a far more glamorous proposition today than it once was.
This is a climate in which the media has made celebrities of Michelin-starred chefs, where food has its own television channel and more young people than ever before (at least in western countries) are considering a culinary career.
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It boils down to the fact that food has become fashionable — and consumers want to know more about it.
This means a multitude of professional chefs have unexpectedly become high-profile, influential public figures, with millions of people around the world hanging on their every word.
This provides these professionals with the ideal platform for educating the consumer, which not only improves public food knowledge but also strengthens and broadens the F&B industry itself.
Educating eaters
Last month saw an impressive turnout for the Taste of Dubai (ToD) festival, a food fair in the UAE’s most cosmopolitan emirate, offering visitors the opportunity to sample taster portions of signature dishes from exhibiting restaurants.
Renowned chef Gary Rhodes — who was present not only to represent his Rhodes Mezzanine restaurant at Grosvenor House, but also to officially announce his second Dubai outlet, Rhodes Twenty10, opening at Le Royal Méridien later this year — said such events were a massive boon to the region.
“This really shows off what Dubai is all about; it’s become the culinary capital of the Middle East, there’s no question about that — we’ve got loads of great chefs, great restaurants and a huge variety of cooking styles from all over the world,” he asserted.
“And if you can open the doors wide to this huge fairground extravaganza of culinary delights, to all the people who live in the UAE and hopefully many tourists from further afield as well, there’s going to be something for everyone to take away from that.
“Many people won’t have tried some of the styles of food before,” he continued. “Just to be able to give them a taste and broaden their food knowledge — there’s nothing better for a chef than that.”
Michelin-starred chef Vineet Bhatia, the man behind high-end Indian outlet Indego at Grosvenor House, added: “I believe it’s good for people to come and meet us and try new things, so they can take away a lot of new ideas and flavours across a whole range of cuisines. It helps to educate consumers, as it means they will try new things in future.”
Celebrated Italian chef Georgio Locatelli has taken part in ToD for the past two years, and agrees that an education in food has become “highly important” — for consumers of all ages.
“I teach a few sessions each year in schools, telling kids about food and showing them it’s a part of their life and accessible to them,” he reveals.
“It’s important to take steps like this; the next generation should be one that understands the relation between food production and cooking and can appreciate a balanced, wholesome diet.”
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