Star Quality: Celebrity Chefs As Speakers And Caterers
Author: Natalie DeNicholas
April 2006
Food + Beverage
According to Kitchen Confidential author Anthony Bourdain, it used to be that those relegated to the confines of the kitchen were treated as though they were invisible. Kitchen workers and chefs were a breed unto themselves, with the world split decidedly between “front of the house” and “back of the house.” Then came Julia Child.
As The French Chef, Child was both quirky and informative. The first cooking show was born. Julia Child paved the way for entire channels dedicated to food and food lovers. With the advent of FoodTV and shows like Great Chefs of America and Cooking with the CIA (that’s the Culinary Institute of America, not the guys in suits and sunglasses), a new breed of chef was born: the celebrity.
We are a country infatuated with celebrity. Scratch that: we are a world held rapt by celebrity. So what could be a more logical step than to meld two great societal needs, celebrity and the need to eat? Who isn’t amazed by the ninja-like skills of Yan Can Cook’s Martin Yan? His knives are always a blur onscreen while he cracks jokes and pretends to ignore the deadly tools in his hands. Or who could forget the silly antics of lovable Graham Kerr as The Galloping Gourmet? How about Justin Wilson, the host of PBS’ Louisiana Cookin’, whose catchphrase “I gua-ran-tee!” will forever remind me of days sitting in front of the television with my dad, drooling over cuisine I had yet to taste? These “foodies” were able to break new ground and set the stage for the rise of the celebrity chef.
It’s all in the presentation
When you mention celebrities in the culinary world, several names are bound to come to mind. Emeril Lagasse, Mario Batali, and Wolfgang Puck are some usual suspects. In addition, Ming Tsai, Alton Brown, Rachel Ray, Jamie Oliver and of course the late Julia Child are all great television personalities with a love and appreciation of food. As with all celebrities, they make us want to watch them. We want to meet these people, ask questions, learn from them, ask them to sponsor our product and speak to our employees. Yes, that’s right: we want to hire them as motivational speakers or celebrity caterers for our events.
Just recently, Wolfgang Puck was named primary caterer for all special events held at Universal Studios Hollywood. This newly-formed partnership between Universal Studios Hollywood and Wolfgang Puck Catering will hardly be the last of such agreements between a top chef and a big company. So what should we expect from this new alliance? What makes Puck any better than the corner caterer? As with all things to do with food, it’s in the presentation.
A celebrity chef as a caterer brings many things to the table. Celebrity chefs bring their names, their experience, their showmanship, and their own flavor of glitz and glamour. Puck, for example, can often be seen cooking in any of his Los Angeles-based restaurants, as well as socializing in any event he may be catering. You can be assured that if he is in the area he may drop by an event catered by Wolfgang Puck Catering at Universal Studios Hollywood. That fact alone might make it worth it for a meeting planner to choose Universal as a venue. Even if you are not easily starstruck, keep in mind that celebrities are generally famous for being the best at what they do.
Evelyn Taylor, special events director for Universal Studios Hollywood, explains that when you host an event at Universal, you’re in the home of the stars. Wolfgang Puck is the chef to the stars, and he is a celebrity himself.
Now, few venues may be able to boast their very own celebrity chef as the caterer for their events. However, there are some (slightly) less expensive options. All American Speakers has five offices spread across the U.S. Their speakers, includes a long list of celebrity chefs. Evan Morgenstein, vice president of All American Speakers, says he receives around 100 leads a week requesting a celebrity chef to speak. “Chefs are part of a lifestyle marketing genre,” Morgenstein says, a genre that people want to be a part of.
Chef2Chef, a partner of All American Speakers, caters primarily to those in the restaurant business. David Nelson, a chef for 30 years as well as the company’s advertising sales contact, receives many calls each day requesting information on celebrity chefs. In part, he says, this is due to the growing popularity of cooking shows and food channels. The showmanship that makes a chef a celebrity is something people want at their event, and it is something they are willing to pay for. Nelson explains that hiring a celebrity chef to speak at an event or to endorse a product at a restaurant convention often leads to more visitors and sales.
Creativity outside the kitchen
So what type of event is best suited to hiring a celebrity chef? According to Morgenstein, chefs can be as versatile at events as they are in the kitchen. A celebrity chef can be a motivational speaker regaling attendees with stories of how he or she rose from dishwasher, to prep cook, to line cook, and eventually to executive chef. Some celebrity chefs can be great business speakers, since they have created a name for themselves and can show others how to market themselves as a commodity.
Celebrity chefs can be entertainment; providing a recognizable face during cooking demonstrations is a definite attention-grabber. Or as with Wolfgang Puck, a celebrity chef can become the sole force behind a catering company offering extraordinary cuisine to events of any size.
Is it right for you?
When planning to include a celebrity chef in an event, there are some things you must consider:
• Budget is big. Decide what is reasonable for your event. Work with a company like All American Speakers or Chef2Chef, and tell them what type of event you’re having and what you envision. They will help you figure which celebrity chef may be best suited to your needs. Nelson says some people may call Chef2Chef with no idea of what they want or any inkling of what the costs might be. Morgenstein says he receives calls from planners asking to book Mario Batali, only to balk at the costs associated with such a big name.
• Scheduling is vital. You will need to book any celebrity talent well in advance. Celebrity chefs may still have a hand in the kitchen or previous engagements they may need to work around. Keep in mind, many chefs have obligations to television networks or other contracts that may require them to back out of an arrangement at any time. Make sure the agency you’re working with can provide you with an equally talented chef if the one you want is suddenly unable to attend.
• There may also be some logistical issues you will have to work around, such as equipment requirements of the chef if he or she is expected to demonstrate or cook food. There are fire and electrical restrictions. Some venues may not allow an outside chef to cook in their space. Most chefs require a food preparation person or a food stylist. Some may request a list of food be brought in, or they may choose to procure ingredients on their own, all of which will cost time and money. With all this information to consider, it is important that you match your event to the right chef.
Is it worth it?
As with any celebrity speaker, you get what you pay for. It all just depends on your audience. As Morgenstein says, “A recognizable face keeps people captivated.” The plus with a celebrity chef is that its entrancing to watch a master create gorgeous dishes. Celebrity chefs are first and foremost people who chose to get into the business of serving people. They want to share knowledge and interact with those they are serving. “By and large they are just very nice people,” Morgenstein says. Which makes sense, seeing that before they were a celebrity chef, they were usually referred to as chef—or even, “Hey, you!”
