The Role of Chefs in Modern Society

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For most of history, culinary activities and cooks have had a limited role in society. They were in a precarious situation regarding their social and professional roles. They were never given their due attention and always participated in the background. It is not unusual that chefs have historically been women or enslaved people. They never got recognition for the contributions they made to society. However, the rise of professional chefs in recent decades has resulted in a restructuring of the business and a rethinking of its work. It was once considered a low-status occupation, but it has since become one of the world’s most prominent and influential occupations (Earl, 2019). Chefs could entirely shift the public’s opinion of their profession due to their increased commercial and financial impact. Food is one of the universal needs that transcends cultures and generations. No one can survive without food because it is a daily necessity. Food must go through preparation processes such as cooking before it is fit for consumption. As a result, qualified chefs/cooks play an essential role in this industry.

Chefs began to distinguish themselves through professional contacts with influential people before the twentieth century. Bartolomeo Scappi and Francois Vatel represent the modern era, marked by the employment of television and other forms of media as critical recognition methods (Scott-Warren & Zurcher, 2018). James Beard was a chef who hosted the first cookery show, “I Love to Eat,” in 1946. Fanny Cradock was another prominent chef who played an essential role in acknowledging the chefs’ profession. She is credited with becoming the first English celebrity chef to have her cooking show in the 1950s (Smith, 2020). They achieved recognition and respect for their work by exposing their talents, hardiness, and originality, essential for their vocation.

Marco Pierre White rose to prominence as the youngest chef to be awarded three Michelin stars. Jamie Oliver made cooking look easy with his boyish attitude and engaging humor. Along with Bobby Flay, Mario Batali, and Rachel Ray, he embraced modern technology, the internet, and social media. They began to promote themselves as brands, which marked the beginning of celebrity entrepreneurship that brought cooks to the limelight.

Chefs can now attract so much attention that they can impact societal opinions and quality of life. Chefs become globally famous, ever-present public personalities with some help from the media. Nowadays, chefs are seen on various TV shows preparing and sharing their recipes, touring the world to introduce many unknown cuisines to the public, and being inspired by them. They are cookery competitions, judges, and book publishers. Every restaurant and chef has their social media accounts, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. It is an excellent way to garner much attention and exposure (Matta, 2018). However, simply being present in the media is insufficient to preserve a positive image and impact the public. It is essential to know what they stand for. When chefs first recognized their influence, one of the first things they did was address the problems of the less fortunate. They established several projects and non-governmental organizations to assist others, such as World Chefs Without Borders and World Central Kitchen.

Chefs address several sustainability issues, like where food comes from, cooked, and how waste is treated. They are promoting seasonal ingredients from their region to reduce their carbon footprint to conserve the environment (Pereira et al., 2019). Chefs are also concerned about water and energy use in the kitchen and strive to reduce it. Restaurants in more rural areas can help keep money in the community. People are always working together to survive. Chefs play an important role because they work with local farmers, food producers, and other craftspeople. They can also create job opportunities for waiters and cleaners with their eatery. Chefs need to have an extensive understanding of their geography, culture, and gastronomic traditions to be successful. They are ideal for representing their destination because many people go there for food.

Acurio led a multi-sector movement to ban the use of genetically engineered crops. According to Acurio, component use is the product of political considerations influenced by environmental ethics and artistic statements. Acurio promises to provide a bridge between customers, farmers, the food sector, tourism, nutrition, and health and promote social and environmental values (Ontaneda & Quiroga, 2020). He owns dozens of restaurants in key cities throughout the world. Therefore, he is credited with making Peruvian food the country’s most famous export while simultaneously exemplifying the values of socially responsible business people. His achievements in Peru have been recognized, even in an atmosphere when political parties have lost their glamour, making him an influential figure. Even though chefs are not entirely involved in political leadership, it is crucial to note that the ascent of chefs in public life is not restricted to a small group of people. Cooks do not possess authority over a nation in public discourse, but their involvement in molding the public debate is significant enough to warrant more investigation into food security.

With an in-depth examination of contemporary cuisine, it becomes evident that chefs are more than just food providers; they also teach their guests about cuisines from throughout the world. The classics like Paris, Rome, and Naples are often at the forefront when discussing the best gastronomic destinations. Chefs shift perceptions by introducing people to locations that are often not given attention when they serve cuisine worldwide. One of Anthony Bourdain’s best works, “Parts Unknown,” exemplifies how he uses his celebrity as a world-famous chef to show off the cuisine and cultures of places that food critics tend to overlook. Tanzania, Trinidad, and various other cultural hotspots were just a few places he took visitors on his global tour (Cherro Osorio et al., 2021). To do this, Bourdain ate street food and home-cooked meals with the locals rather than dining at the most prominent restaurants in these cities.

A rapidly globalizing world needs chefs’ involvement in various issues, from social and cultural to political and environmental. Chefs help fight hunger and child poverty by forming advocacy groups and charitable organizations. Chefs have formed alliances with nonprofit institutions aiming to relieve problems such as childhood hunger and poverty, and some have even founded their organizations in response to this urge. Think Food Group, a nonprofit organization founded by chef Jose Andres, is an example. Massimo Botura founded Food for Soul, a nonprofit foundation dedicated to reducing food waste through social integration (Bottura,2019). Chef Verdisco points out that food waste restrictions are causing problems for cooks. Without a company like Think Food Group, food redistribution is impossible, resulting in waste. As a result, cooks play an essential role in minimizing food waste and upholding food security in the fight against hunger and poverty.

References

Bottura, M. (2019). Food for change (Volume 9). European Investment Bank.

Cherro Osorio, S., Frew, E., Lade, C., & Williams, K. M. (2021). Blending tradition and modernity: Gastronomic experiences in high Peruvian cuisine.Tourism Recreation Research, 47(3), 332–346.

EARL, L. E. X. I. (2019). Schools and food education in the 21st Century. ROUTLEDGE.

Matta, R. (2018). Celebrity chefs and the limits of playing politics from the kitchen.Globalized Eating Cultures, 183–201.

Ontaneda, E., & Quiroga, G. (2020). Gaston Acurio: Business Model Innovation and creation of a Peruvian gastronomic brand.Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies, 10(1), 1–14.

Pereira, L. M., Calderón-Contreras, R., Norström, A. V., Espinosa, D., Willis, J., Guerrero Lara, L., Khan, Z., Rusch, L., Correa Palacios, E., & Pérez Amaya, O. (2019). Chefs as change-makers from the kitchen: Indigenous knowledge and traditional food as sustainability innovations. Global Sustainability, 2.

Smith, G. (2020). Taste and the Tv chef: How storytelling can save the planet. Intellect Books.

Scott-Warren, J., & Zurcher, A. E. (2018). Text, food and the early modern reader: Eating words. Routledge.

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The Role of Chefs in Modern Society

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