It takes a lot of guts to get up in front of your peers on a global stage and speak out against negative issues, no matter your world of work. For the global food industry, the rise of celebrity chef culture and the ever blurring lines between commercial partnerships, talent and content, has led to a shocking decline in ethics and transparent engagement with consumers.
You buy a product because a chef you admire endorses it, but what are they really getting out of it…and is it any good for you? We’re yet to reach the dizzying heights of Kardashian Sponsored Kontent, ala, Kendall Jenner’s shocking display of vulnerability, paid for by acne skincare giant Proactive, but we’re not far off.
At Food On The Edge 2018, a symposium held in Galway, Ireland in late 2018, South African Australian chef and restaurateur Duncan Welgemoed of Adelaide’s Africola, spoke on the responsibility we have in the face of the popularisation of the food industry, as our profiles and spheres of influence expand. There is deep catharsis in hearing someone publicly say what we are all thinking, because not all of us have the platform or the guts to say it ourselves. A worthy 11 or so minutes of your day, whether you work in food or not. Video shared via Fine Dining Lovers.
