Celebrity chefs have been influencing the food and beverage industry for many a year now. From Julia Child promoting French cuisine in the 1960s, to Delia Smith elevating home cooking in the 1990s, foodies have followed their onscreen idols with rapt attention for decades.
But the recent rise of social media, has seen the focus shift away from seasoned chefs, towards the more relaxed approach of online influencers, with names like Joe Wicks coming to the fore.
Wicks first came to prominence when he encouraged his millions-strong Instagram audience to eat more healthily, through his ‘Lean in 15’ videos. The social-media sensation single-handedly, and seemingly overnight, changed the image of cooking as entertainment, taking it from a long-form video presented by a recognised chef in a TV studio to a 15-second social media post presented by member of the public in their own home. His videos and cheeky persona quickly won friends and influenced people, with marketing specialist Coregeo saying that his inclusion of the vitamin-rich veggie, tenderstem broccoli, in many of his recipes resulted in sales going up by 25% in the UK.
Moreover, the rise in social media has seen consumers actively seeking out recipes and diet plans from social media platforms, with the hashtag ‘food’ garnering over 555 billion views on TikTok.
But just because social media influencers are the current face of emerging trends in food and beverage, doesn’t necessarily mean they’re the source. That, it appears, still lies in the hands of chefs, particularly celebrity chefs.
Celebrity chefs prove their power to influence
Celebrity chefs, it seems, hold a huge amount of power in dictating, not just the current food and beverage trends, but the future of the industry.
“TV chefs not only entertain but also educate viewers about cooking techniques, ingredients, and recipes,” says a spokesperson for Biyo POS. “Their ability to connect with audiences has made them influential figures in the culinary world. Viewers often try to replicate the dishes they see on screen, making celebrity chefs a significant part of daily cooking practices.”
And it’s not just the meals themselves, which create excitement for consumers, it’s also the specific ingredients used.
“Products are seen as premium if chefs use them,” says Stefan Chomka, editor of Restaurant Magazine. “And, recently, many trends — barbecue, kimchi, bao buns — have come from restaurants. Supermarkets watch what’s happening there.”
This was recently illustrated by Marks & Spencer, which sought to capitalise on the star power of celebrity chefs, by launching its ‘Gastropub’ ready meals, in association with chef, Tom Kerridge. And the investment paid off as the premium supermarket announced the range had “delivered accelerated growth” in its food sales.
Similarly, Carl Johannesson teamed up with Eurospar to produce ‘The Chef’ range of pre prepared meals, while James Martin worked with brand, Albert Bartlett, to produce a range of frozen potato products.
And beverages are just as heavily influenced by celebrity chefs, with big names not only creating cocktails themselves, but also releasing their own beverage brands. Le Gavroche Gin, created by Michel Roux Jr, Irvine’s Spirits, created by Robert Irvine, and Banks Brothers, created by Tommy Banks, are just a few of the many launching onto the market.
With any celebrity endorsement/collaboration, it may be less the individual celebrity themselves and more the general buzz/chatter this creates and people wanting to be part of this conversation
Alice Baker
But it isn’t necessarily the chef alone that’s drawing consumer attention. Industry professionals believe it could be the resulting excitement created around a new product.
“With any celebrity endorsement/collaboration, it may be less the individual celebrity themselves and more the general buzz/chatter this creates, with people wanting to be part of this conversation,” says Alice Baker, food and drink analyst at Mintel.
In other words, it’s all in the marketing, and anything which is seen to be new and exciting will draw consumer attention.
What’s more, celebrity chefs are stepping beyond their traditional role in television, and into the brave new world of social media, making them social media influencers in their own right.
In fact, some of the biggest names in the biz, including Ina Garten, Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay can be found on social media, boasting 4.6m, 10.5m and 18.4m followers respectively.
The restaurant scene is not just a place to dine, but a creative incubator where chefs, with their innovative use of ingredients, techniques and presentations, set the stage for trends to emerge
The Food Group
And it’s not just celebrity chefs who are setting the foodie agenda, chefs in general are heavily influencing consumer behaviour.
“The restaurant scene is not just a place to dine, but a creative incubator where chefs, with their innovative use of ingredients, techniques and presentations, set the stage for trends to emerge,” says a spokesperson for The Food Group.
Moreover, chefs operating in small independent restaurants are often the very original source of a new, innovative idea.
“Fine dining and independent restaurants often serve as the initial platform for introducing major food trends to the public,” says The Food Group. “These trends then spread to quick-service restaurants and fast-casual establishments, showcasing the influential role of chefs in shaping the culinary landscape.”
In short, chefs are still the ones to watch, as the food and beverage trends of the future are in their hands.
