Celebrity chefs are all the rage. They throw around terms like free range chickens, school dinners, foie gras, steroids, and sustainable resources like they are ingredients in their favourite recipes. Food is becoming big business. If you want to be someone with money, you might as well become a celebrity chef! While Celebrity chefs have their places, my thoughts these days are not with the cutting board superstars, but with the Chef in the Kitchen.The Chef in the Kitchen is almost forgotten in today's world. People sit at their favourite restaurants chatting about their favourite celebrity chefs, all the while forgetting the chef that stands just a few feet away in the kitchen preparing a delectable meal like the one they are eating. That chef is the forgotten hero.Ten years ago this was not the way things were. The Chefs in the Kitchen would get compliments and critiques from all of the tables in their restaurants. Guests would purchase fine champagne for the chefs in appreciation for an excellent meal. It was not uncommon for guests to request an audience with a chef to offer a handshake and a heartfelt thank you for the cuisine. Last week at Hotelympia, catering suppliers were showcased on every corner. They had their tools, foods, and supplies easily accessible to guests and potential customers. But where were the chefs? They were tucked away in the farthest corner or seen demonstrating different pieces of equipment.This does not make sense in my mind. After all, without a Chef in the Kitchen, you have nothing! If the chefs were not preparing the meals that were served by the catering suppliers, the catering suppliers would have no business. The exhibition would be worthless!I would like to propose that chefs should be placed on a pedestal and revered. They are, after all, the ones creating the cuisine that is driving the fine food craze. The hotel owner, restaurateur, and café owner would be out of work without a Chef in the Kitchen. It is time this balance is addressed and chefs are given what they truly deserve. Without a Chef, You Have Nothing. With a Chef, You Have Everything! ChefsWorld: Empowering Chefs Globally |
