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How Chefs Became Gods

How Chefs Became Gods

by Mireille Kilgour

Untitled-14 Once hidden in the kitchen, chefs are these days treated like rock gods – we know their history and their style, we try to recreate their meals by buying their cookbooks and we book into classes to learn how to imitate their culinary skills. But how did this come about?

According to food expert Colman Andrews, the original celebrity chef was Georges Auguste Escoffier, who made his name as the ruler of London's Savoy Hotel kitchen in the late 19th century. It is estimated he created 10,000 original recipes and his unique style of running a kitchen paved the way for future chefs.

When Escoffier started out, the role of a chef was considered a poor man's job. A chefs working day was spent hidden in hot, sweaty kitchens where they were paid very little money to pump out meals for those financially better off. Escoffier changed this by introducing ventilation into his kitchen and by treating his staff with the respect they deserved. He ensured his workers were well fed and well hydrated and he encouraged them to take pride in the meals they were cooking. Even so, it was a long time before the world turned its attention to the chefs behind the best restaurants.

It wasn't until the 1980s that chefs began to take over the spotlight, thanks in part to their introduction on TV shows. Restaurant guides began naming the chefs behind the spectacular meals and critics began to compare the skills of chefs everywhere.

These days, you would be very hard pushed to turn on the TV and not find a chef sharing his secrets or rounding off against another in a cook off.

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Mireille Kilgour

Mireille Kilgour has been an entrepreneur for 35 years in the hospitality sector. French born, she has been an accomplished business owner and operator for a number of Sydney venues. Leading the industry with high profile institutions such as Lamrock Café Bondi, she has endless passion for the industry, and now has the pleasure of supporting restaurants to fill their tables with the new Good Food Gift Card program.