11/27/2021
What do you think about the celebrity chef culture?
The renowned chef and gastronomic entrepreneur Francis Mallmann has declined its space in the 50 Best restaurants ranking communicated this week where it was mentioned in the 45th place among the best restaurants in all Latin America.
He posted his letter resigning as a jury in 2013, where he attacked the culture surrounding celebrity chefs. This is the letter:
“Thank you for choosing me as one of your judges, but I have decided not to vote any more in your contest. I felt (which is what I wanted) in the last two years, but now I cannot continue.
Look: I’ve been cooking for 40 years. As you know, the kitchen is a romance of ingredients, space, service, time and silence. I see conflicting feelings in so many of my colleagues who are so concerned about awards that they spend the year lobbying voters, hopping from conference to conference, and, in my opinion, wasting valuable time and distancing themselves from the real values that they hold a restaurant.
The awards created a fictitious and ultra-competitive environment for our food culture. Innovation seems to be the main value. Although there is nothing wrong with that (innovation), it diverged from the values of a trade in favor of what they call art. Young chefs try to cross bridges much earlier than they should simply to be different, famous, or new. Art is an intellectual construction, and food and wine have more to do with the senses and sharing. Gastronomy and wine make us sharper, more resourceful. Only then can they stimulate our thinking and enhance our fellowship with companions, friends, and lovers. Cooking can certainly be intellectual, but it should be so in a calmer and – dare I say – humble way.
Certainly, I was very honored when my 1884 restaurant was ranked 7th in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants in its first year of existence. But it is that my life in the kitchen no longer has links with this ranking.
So I wish you all the best and I thank you for allowing me to serve on your jury in recent years.
Let’s share the bread”.
