When some of the world’s 50-best chefs posted pictures thanking their teams following the awards, all I could see in those images was a big sea of aprons; even if you’re on a winning team, it’s only a handful of people that get celebrated at fancy champagne-filled ceremonies. And the women and men who don’t get considered for such lists, for whatever reason, lose out on the attention that could really lift their careers and restaurants above the crowd.
Sure, not everyone can win an award, but cooking at any level is demanding and we welcome any kind of recognition for the blood, sweat and tears we put in. Sadly, until we get that acknowledgement, it’s up to us to be awake to the impact that our work makes.
The biggest difference to my own childhood came from those anonymous chefs cooking at the humble restaurants and fast food outlets we frequented. When we ate out or had a takeaway was when we really felt like a family. The underlying tension between my parents disappeared momentarily in the presence of food and you can see why those meals formed some of my best memories. How many of your own customers will have a similar story to mine?
All I can say is even when you don’t receive external validation, you have to somehow trust that you’re making a difference, chef.