DISCOURSE ANALYSIS

OF CELEBRITY CHEFS INFLUENCE ON

SOCIAL, CULTURAL,
ENVIRONMENTAL,AND POLITICAL
ISSUES.

GAS 659 COOKS AND CHEFS IN SOCIETY

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Jennifer Ronald 20071019
Cooks and Chefs Society GAS659
Andrew Cleland & Oliver Buddrick
Introduction

Nowadays people like to travel, and traveling could be divided into several fields such as
literature, culinary, art,and politics. Whenever people are traveling, food is always
involved as food is essential need in our life. Nowadays, social media has become an
essential in marketing strategy (Zeng &Gerritsen,2014). Social media such as Facebook,
Twitter, and Instagram provide the quickest access to the celebrity. Fast grow on other
celebrity chefs following the footsteps of celebrity chefs such as Jamie Oliver, Rachael
Ray, Gordon Ramsay by using the advantages of social media, internet, and present-day
innovation (Clarke et al., 2016). Society is increasingly obsessed with pictures, and
celebrities’ chef’s help confirms the saying we eat with an eye first. With active social
media today, there is an increased chance of the audience admiring celebrities. This
paper investigates how celebrity chefs could influence society on social, cultural,
environmental, and political issues that inspired them to take certain actions.

Social Issues

Back in the old days, woman places are in the kitchen but after a few periods, the
woman still struggles with dominating the professional kitchen. According to Michelin-
starred chef Tom Kerridge, employees are being put under pressure, elements on
completing jobs in a short period which is the reason a fewer number offemale chefs in
the culinary industry (Warhust,2014). One female chef made it possible is Angela
Hartnett, who is Britain leading female chef, earned her first Michelin star in 2004, and
ex-apprenticeship of the loud, rude, and harsh kitchen of famous Michelin chef Gordon
Ramsay. Harnett describes the working environment as “Vietnam” where she worked
17hours a day, 6days a week (Kelly & Harrison, 2016) and she continued working with
Gordon for the past 17 years which she gains full appreciation and inspiration for other
females who dream to be a professional chef. Angela Hartnett’s achievement was
exceptional; she proved that female could be a chef in the male-dominated restaurant
kitchen without becoming one of them and being the first female to win the Ayala
SquareMeal Female Chef of the Year Award in 2018. In addition to her winning, she
mentions it is so good to see an increasing number of female chefs nowadays and it’s
changing for the better (SquareMeal, 2018).

Cultural Issues

As countries like Singapore is famous for its multicultural population of Chinese, Malay,
Indian and Eurasian ancestry. All this ethnic population came from different
backgrounds bringing various food cultures that bring the harmony of Singapore.The
requirement for proceeding and saving legacy food is seen as an advantage in keeping
up with neighborhood food culture even with outside homogenizing pressure (Mac,
2018) Therefore, food heritage of traditional food has become a UNESCO’s important
strategy to raise food heritage recognition (Di Fiore, 2019). For example, Damian D’Silva
who has spent 20 years recreating his childhood dishes that has vanished from
Singapore local table. He opened a restaurant called Folklore in 2017 with a concept of
bringing casual and approachable soul food of Eurasian and Peranakan dishes which
earned him a spotlight to be MasterChef Singapore judging panel (AsiaTatler, 2017). As
he mentions during the interview with CNA Singapore (2018), his passion for cooking
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Jennifer Ronald 20071019
Cooks and Chefs Society GAS659
Andrew Cleland & Oliver Buddrick
came from his granddad which allowed him to observe his way of cooking. According to
Damian D’Silva customer experience, the customer does not seem to welcome the price
paid by an individual who presents heritage food. He thinks Singapore has not lost their
identity, they just forgot who they are and lost the flavor of their heritage food.

Environmental Issues

The increasing population and modernization have caused a rise in demand for food
variety. Food production and consumption have given impacts on climate, alteration to
undernourishment, social, and environmental issues (Mason & Lang, 2017). Amidst the
principle of nutrition, food proteins from plants contain high nutritional value and
environmentally friendly (Henchion et al., 2017). Besides helping the environment,
plant-based consumption help to lessen body fat even there’s the intention of reducing
the food portion ( Kahleova et al., 2018). As an author of a vegan cookbook, Isa Chandra
Moskowitz began to show herself a celebrity chef on established cooking shows which
gained more popularity. During her fame, Moskowitz creates a website
www.thePPK.com where she will gather online vegan cooking communities whereby,
they could submit recipes and share some ideas. At some points her shows do no air
anymore, her website still grows, and her message boards are overflowing with
comments of the active vegan community (Flowers & Swan,2016). She mentions in her
book Vegan with a Vengeance(2015), avoids the consumption of convenience food will
help you to save money and support local farmers. For Moskowitz, prepare and
consume the plant-based product is an act towards sustainable and healthy living at the
same time prove that quit eating animal products and supporting big business can be
done.

Political Issues

Food waste is a sort of natural waste that originated from various sources like cafes,
family, cafeteria, and preparing plants, adding to a critical of civil waste (Kiran et
al.,2014). Food waste requires legitimate administration and reusing strategy to limit its
ecological weight and danger to human life. Food is considered an everyday component
of living and as common as to great extent working external a political economy.By the
twenty-first century, people purchase more convenience food at home which causes
loss of traditional cooking skills (Aschemann-Witzel,2018). For owner and Chef Dan
Barber for good food involves eco-friendly agricultural creation and waste could include
lack of land, eatable issue of food consumptions. Regardless of the overproduction of
food, millions of the population still suffer from malnutrition and food shortages. In
March 2015, Dan Barber set up wastED for 3weeks inside his restaurant Blue Hills
partner up with several agricultural businesses to supply and reinvent food ingredients
that they considered as waste / spoiled (Justin&Anna,2018). Diner comments on the
brilliant quality and taste of his food, he abused benefactor’s desires by foreseeing trash
and convey something flavorful. WastED manage to change consumer eyes on food and
waste and encourage consumer on making food decision based on influence or
commonsense rules.

Conclusion

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Jennifer Ronald 20071019
Cooks and Chefs Society GAS659
Andrew Cleland & Oliver Buddrick
This essay help to relate how impactful chef towards the issues raised which can be
seen most chef help to bring positive changes to society. Although different chefs using
different methods of communications such as books, websites, stores however message
being conveyed was clear and society could learn and practice it in the future.
Furthermore, few chefs prefer to support behind the scenes by working in their
restaurant which includes cooking or launch a pop-up sustainable store to create
awareness and communicate with consumers further regarding the value and benefits
of their actions. What motivates chefs to do certain actions is through their individual
qualities and conviction. This research shows that chefs have a powerful impact on
bringing changes to society as they are being passionate and strong towards their goals.
As being mentioned by Moskowitz (2015) avoid the consumption of convenience
products and consume sustainable based food will help to create healthy living and
supporting local business. Not only does the consumption of sustainable products
benefit individuals but it also helps to change the world for a better place to live by
reducing the methane produced by animals that could destroy the world ozone layer. It
can be seen through Dan Barber’s effort on changing “waste” perception by creating
delicious and flavorful dishes through ingredients that are still partly consumable. Dan
Barber had openthe audience’s minds to the definition of “waste” means and transforms
our behavior to reduce food waste. In conclusion, chefs are using their image and
information they obtain as media to influence society for the benefit of future
generations.

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Jennifer Ronald 20071019
Cooks and Chefs Society GAS659
Andrew Cleland & Oliver Buddrick
 Reference List

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Andrew Cleland & Oliver Buddrick
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Jennifer Ronald 20071019
Cooks and Chefs Society GAS659
Andrew Cleland & Oliver Buddrick