Celebrity Chefs and Hospitality Industry - Essay Example

How Effective Are Today's Celebrity Chefs In Educating the Public and How Might This Impact The Hospitality Industry Whilst celebrity status is more prominent in the United States, the UK has enjoyed the talents of several outstanding chefs who are also restaurateurs that have achieved celebrity status. What defines a celebrity chef Celebrity chefs are chefs who have published books on cookery as well as hosting their own television programmes, gaining popularity through their talent and public presence. A celebrity chef may or may not be a restauranteur. The general eating trends in the UK have changed dramatically over the past five years through increased awareness of genetically modified foods, mad cow disease threats, rising death rates due to cardiovascular problems and an observable rise in obesity amongst children. Celebrity chefs have had a part in changing these trends for the better. In addition, celebrity chefs have brought the interest back into cookery at home with exciting and attractive, easy to prepare dishes that offer good nutrition as well as good flavour. Celebrity chefs have not only entertained viewers for years, they have also begun to undertake educating the public regarding safe food handling, nutrition and other important issues that have fallen by the wayside in modern dual-income society. Their presence has made a positive impact in homes, schools and the hospitality industry by educating people about the foods they choose to eat, how they are prepared in the most nutritious manner, and the most beneficial combinations to eat to promote good health. Recently the issue of safe food handling took centre stage; the public badly needed education regarding proper handling, cooking and storage temperatures. For a while, this took precedence after the April 2001 edition of the Environmental Health Journal (EHJ) published an article with the issue of hygiene being deemed underemphasized by celebrity chefs. Chef Antony Worrall Thompson was criticized for one of his columns in the The Independent where he stated that too much attention was being drawn to 'germ-free' food and not enough attention was being given to nutritional value (Nick Warburton, EHJ, April 2001, para. 4). The Food Standards Agency (FSA)'s Robert Rees rebutted by pointing out the irresponsibility of such statements from public figures regarded highly for their culinary skills. He added that research had shown the public to be uncertain about proper food handling, and this could be partly remedied by celebrity chefs taking responsibility for educating their viewers and readers on the matter (Warburton, April 2001, para. 6). The article also spoke of other research indicating that most people had received their culinary education from their homes and schools, indicating little influence on the part of celebrity chefs. The argument continued regarding the television producers needing to be more responsible for content, perhaps including safe food handling practices into celebrity chef programmes. Since this particular article was published, celebrity chefs have been more careful to ensure a more complete message regarding the safe handling and preparation of food. Another example of celebrity chefs educating the public for the better is in the school kitchens. Since eating habits are established at an early age and since children eat meals at school, school dinners have been targeted as an appropriate venue for radical change. Below are some examples of school dinners that have been deemed unhealthy by celebrity chefs: Meal 1: Pepperoni & Tomato Pizza Jacket Potato with a vegetarian Chilli Sauce or Tuna Potato Wedges Baton Carrots Mixed Salad Apple & Orange Duff Yoghurt Meal 2: Chicken Goulash Tagliatelle with a Garlic, Herb & Bean Sauce Filled Jacket Potato Braised Rice Boiled Cabbage (Menu 2, cont.) Mixed salad Viennese Tart with Custard Fresh Fruit Salad The traditional British meal of 'meat and two veg' is represented here, where one 'veg' is a potato. New trends in nutritional education deem these sample meals as too high in fat, sugar and carbohydrate. Though the pupils can opt for the healthier choices, such as fruit salad over a tart with custard, most will not. With the school meal being nutritionally unbalanced and with the meal at home perhaps consisting of convenience or fast food, changes in school diets are overdue. Most of the food served in schools is highly processed and designed to be cost effective and tasty rather than of real nutritional quality. One example of a celebrity chef making a positive impact in school dinner programmes is Jamie Oliver, who hosts a popular television programme called 'Jamie's School Dinners,' hailed by Rosan Meyer (dietician for PruHealth) as 'the cleverest piece of public health education we've had in many years' (The Guardian, 11 April 2005). According to the article, the secret to Oliver's success in educating the public is through presenting information that appeals to audiences; he refrains from 'patronizing and hectoring,' in Meyer's opinion. As a result of Oliver's television programme, a survey conducted by YouGov for PruHealth revealed that 23% of the people surveyed said they had stopped buying unhealthy foods. The same proportion of those surveyed said that they were thinking more about the meals they prepare at home. According to the same article, the end result of Oliver's programme has been increased awareness of school dinner nutrition (and nutrition in general) by parents and ensuing action to change the school dinner menus. The article ended stating that education secretary Ruth Kelly announced extra money from the government for school meals. Chef Oliver is also responsible for greatly expanding his public awareness endeavours by launching the 'Feed Me Better' campaign in the UK. Making himself available to the public for educational activities and science fairs has been extremely helpful in terms of combating childhood obesity and poor academic performance due to poor nutrition. When celebrity chefs place themselves in a 'hands-on' environment, they are able to step out of the box and pages to motivate their fans in person, a critical move in engaging the public in learning. Whilst the continuing influence of programmes in corroboration with celebrity chefs is promoting positive change within the school dinner menus, it is important to understand that the workforce engaged in school dinners must also transform (UNISON, 30 November 2005, para. 9). Making working conditions better for hospitality staff in schools as well as in the private sector is critical for a successful programme, scheme or business plan. In October 2005, Chef Oliver made himself available for the Techniquest festival during National Science week at the University Of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC, 3 October 2005), teaching the techniques of packing a healthy lunch for school children. Combining efforts with government, private and academic educational pursuits has proven to be an effective tool for initiating positive change in terms of educating the public about nutrition. There is an enormous amount of research conducted in the realm of children's nutrition, mostly because of the possibility of future health problems linked with childhood obesity. In 2003 the FSA published its research findings titled Does food promotion influence children A systematic review of the evidence . For the most part, public feedback blamed advertising and supermarket placement of junk food as the culprits of encouraging children to buy such items. Whilst many cited that children and adults both enjoy foods that look and taste good, it was acknowledged that too much processed foods flood the markets, propelling weight gain and other health issues in the population (Gerard Hastings, et. al., 2003). In addition to being popular, some celebrity chefs have expanded into politics, joining the public in putting pressure on the government to ban junk food from schools as well as junk food adverts (Daily Mail Commercial Alert, 10 October 2005). Such activities engage the public and encourage action to make changes for the better in terms of nutrition education and promotion of better health. In terms of the hospitality industry, it has already been seen in the United States that restaurants have altered their menus to promote healthy eating and offer patrons tasty and nutritious options to the standard fare. This has largely been due to customer demand as a direct result of consumer education. Much of the campaigning for healthier eating in the United States has been driven by insurance companies, whose high costs due to the complications of obesity and high cholesterol have become a financial burden. It is not only the public sector that is promoting healthier eating in both the United States and the UK, but a trend is growing in the U.S. that is likely to take hold in the UK in terms of chef and restaurant owner accountability for healthier eating. For instance, Jean Hertzman, director of food service management in the University of Nevada Las Vegas's department of food & beverage management states that, '"Chefs are dealing with a more knowledgeable customer baseguests know more about food, and they're asking for more nutritional options. When (restaurateurs) read about McDonald's getting sued over obesity, they develop a bit of a preventive response. They figure they need to offer healthier alternatives"' (Jennifer Robison, 2005, para. 2). Much of this phenomenon is due to celebrity chefs being interviewed on radio and television chat shows, publishing articles in magazines and newspapers and representing products in adverts that promote healthier eating. On the end of working in the business, celebrity chefs have certainly made an impact on aspiring chefs and the hospitality industry. The stereotype has changed, and due to the celebrity aspect of celebrity chefs, more young people seem to be interested in cookery and entrepreneurship in the restaurant/pub industry. Celebrity chefs who are restaurant owners have enjoyed tremendous business expansion but a balance must be maintained between the actual business and the celebrity aspect of the chef (Christopher James Hammer, n.d., para. 12). Part of the charm and annoyance regarding celebrity chefs and a possible influence on upstart chefs is the continual bickering and fierce competition amongst them. An entertaining Observer article from 15 July 2001 portrayed celebrity chefs as a volatile lot who seem to spend as much time running each other down as presenting artful cuisine. The article quoted chef Antony Worrall Thompson declaring that 'pubs don't get it' in terms of better cuisine (The Observer, 15 July 2001, para. 12). He goes on to say that pubs flatly refuse to upgrade to fresher foods and a sense of flair, but since a pub is not a celebrity restaurant, it certainly does still hold its worth in the market. In spite of or, more likely because of, celebrity chefs, the catering and hospitality business in the UK is very healthy, with one in eight of the British work force employed in the industry (The Independent, 29 April 2004, para. 2). However, the reality of the food service industry may well be hidden due to the glamourous portrayal of celebrity chefs whilst the drudgery, hard work and long hours of the hospitality industry remain hidden. Whilst the influence of celebrity chefs has expanded the choices of finer cuisine beyond the city of London, raising awareness and encouraging creativity in the industry as well as a sense of adventure in consumers, there is the danger of a 'saturation point,' according to Stuart Emery, manager of the Zinc Bar in Birmingham (mybrum.co.uk, n.d.). Celebrity chefs have indeed had a positive impact in the industry by promoting promising careers and high profiles, yet of the new restaurants that open with big dreams, 90% fail in their first year due to bad planning. Good management, staff, dcor, ambiance and quality of service all combine to make a restaurant successful. Whilst a celebrity chef may make it look easy on television, hospitality schools are now toughening their criteria for new recruits by using a six week food handling and hygiene programme to weed out those who cannot sustain the level of interest in the most critical aspect of cookery: safety (The Independent, 29 April 2004, para. 8). The advent of celebrity chefs and the public demand for livelier choices of cuisine (including healthier meals) have prompted hospitality schools to demand more of their students. Professor David Foskett of the Thames Valley University sees exponential growth in the hospitality industry over the next few years, and he says that culinary skills can be a passport to travel, which greatly appeals to young people (Independent, para. 14). Foskett also emphasizes the need to be a savvy business person in order to be successful in the industry; he cites Gordon Ramsay as an example of someone who blends good business with celebrity status. Good business sense cannot be emphasized enough in the hospitality trade, whether or not one is a celebrity chef. In the United States, the public education regarding food and wine has increased incredibly over the past twenty years. In an interview with Chef J. Joho, acclaimed as one of the world's great culinary talents, celebrity chefs are said to be exactly what they are: stars. There are good ones and bad ones, but in Chef J. Joho's opinion, respect is there because the celebrity chefs know what they are doing (Restaurant Report, 2005). According to Chef Joho, 'It used to be that if you were a talented cook, you could run a restaurant. Today, you must be a talented businessperson to even hope to survive. Great food by itself is not going to get it done' (RR, 2005). Finally, celebrity chefs have been paramount in promoting more humane treatment of food animals. Farm and ranch management has radically changed in the U.S. due to public pressure prompted by activist groups and the UK is likely to feel the effects as well as consumers are encouraged to ask where the food they are eating came from (BBC News, 16 September 2005, para. 2). Celebrity chefs do their part to promote local farmers and ranchers and the use of organic food and support of locals, but in the case of chef Richard Stein, the recommendation is a better environment for food animals. Finally, in a controversial move considered offencive by many and exemplary by UK animal rights activists, chef Gordon Ramsay helped slaughter six turkeys reared in his back yard, on television (Tom Kelly, 17 December 2005). This act sparked a rash of emotional reactions from the viewing public. Whilst celebrity chefs have been known to occasionally kill an animal on television for consumption in order to educate the public about how an animal gets to the table, this practice is under intense scrutiny for its educational value. In all, it can be said that celebrity chefs contribute greatly to educational awareness, regarding nutrition, business, presentation, politics, humour, service and even slaughter. They stand now as far more than simple entertainment and seem to be doing a good job getting their message through. Resources 'Cooking Up a Storm.' (29 April 2004), The Independent Online, [Online]. Available at: http://education.independent.co.uk/further/article58056.ece Hastings, Gerard; Stead, Martine; McDermott, Laura; Forsyth, Alasdair; MacKintosh, Anne Marie; Rayner, Mike; Godfrey, Christine; Caraher, Martin and Angus, Kathryn. (September 2003), 'Does food promotion influence children A systematic review of the evidence.' Food Standards Agency, [Online]. Available at: http://www.food.gov.uk/healthiereating/promotion/readreview/ Hammer, James Christopher. (n.d.,) 'Lancashire Restaurant Culture,' Eat and Drink, [Online]. Available at: http://www.eatanddrink.co.uk/articles/Lancs_Restaurant_Culture.asp 'Healthy Lunchboxes For Healthy Kids!' (3 October, 2005), University of Wales Institute, Cardiff News Release, [Online]. Available at: http://www.uwic.ac.uk/new/uwicnews/details.asprec=458 'Interview: Chef J. Joho.' (2005), Restaurant Report, [Online]. Available at: http://www.restaurantreport.com/departments/cr_joho.html 'Jamie Oliver's campaign "makes adults eat more healthily."' (11 April 2005), The Guardian, [Online]. Available at: http://society.guardian.co.uk/publichealth/story/0,11098,1457006,00.html Kelly, Tom. (17 December 2005), 'Slaughtered On TV,' The Daily Mail, [Online]. Available at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.htmlin_article_id=371930&in_page_id=1773&expand=true 'Little Big Mouth.' (15 July 2001), The Observer, [Online]. Available at: http://observer.guardian.co.uk/foodmonthly/story/0,9950,519607,00.html 'Real food; real kitchens; real jobs.' (30 November 2005), UNISON Activists' Zone,[Online]. Available at: http://www.unison.org.uk/activists/pages_view.aspdid=2693 Robison, Jennifer. (Spring 2005), 'Today's Chefs Pulling More Out Of Their Hats.' UNLV Magazine, [Online]. Available at: http://magazine.unlv.edu/Issues/Spring05/24chefs.html 'Sample School Dinner Menu.' (n.d.), Woodlands Junior School, Tonbridge, Kent, [Online]. Available at: http://www.woodlandsjunior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/education/schdinners.htm 'Stein attacks "cruel" hen farming.' (16 September 2005), BBC News, [Online]. Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cornwall/4251530.stm 'UK Celebrity Chefs Want Junk Food Adverts Banned.' (10 October 2005), Daily Mail: Commercial Alert, [Online]. Available at: http://www.commercialalert.org/newsarchive.phparticle_id=803&month=10&year=2005&day=10th Warburton, Rick. (April 2001), 'An Opportunity Lost.' The Environmental Health Journal, [Online]. Available at: http://www.ehjonline.com/archive/2000/april2001/april3.html Read More