The Future CONFLICT & CONSCIENCE - Third Edition - CatchOn
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The Future of Food CONFLICT & CONSCIENCE Third Edition
T a b l e
e
h F
t o
R
g
In preparing our third annual
i n
‘Future of Food’ report, CatchOn examined
D i
the changes now taking place in the culinary world
to understand how these shifts will impact our future.
S e t t
We’ve subtitled this report ‘Conflict & Conscience’ to
s c u s s
reflect the opposing forces, ironies and thorny moral issues
that are shaping the future of the food industry. For example,
although consumers have more access to food than ever before,
they’ve never been more removed from the cooking process
and food sources. While the internet bombards us daily with
new information, many of us remain ignorant of the origins
of the food we consume.
Through our research and discussions with culinary
experts, food critics, chefs and restaurateurs,
i
we identified a number of key issues
o
and emerging trends.
n
lw a y s b e g in n in g n ow.
The future is a
t
- Mark Strand, essayis
Chef, Charlatan
or Showman? Keeping it Real:
In recent years, chefs have Faced with Waste: Eager to embrace the farm-to-table trend,
transitioned from instructors With global food production consumers are drawn to restaurants who
to innovators. Blue-collar cooks struggling to keep pace bandy about buzzwords and catchphrases
are now white-knight advocates. with population growth, like ‘organic’, ‘sustainably grown’ and ‘farm
As chefs continue to step out how are diners, restaurateurs fresh’. The reality, though, is very different.
of the kitchens and into the and chefs cooking up With the rising incidence of food fraud
spotlight, how will their solutions to produce and lab-created food products, is real
public personas evolve? more with less? food a thing of the past?
For each of these six issues, we’ve analyzed perceptions, uncovered realities and predicted
how these changes will impact the future. With those for a thirst for information and a hunger for
new trends, we trust CatchOn’s latest Future of Food report will give you plenty to chew over.
Reaching Critical Mess:
Once venerated and feared in equal The Historical Future:
measure, restaurant critics have had their Tradition versus In a back-to-basics trend,
influence eroded through the changing media Innovation: chefs are honouring primal
landscape and the growth of social media. When it comes to new dining cooking techniques, returning
The internet has replaced experts with experiences, will science to fire and water, exploring
amateurs as bloggers engage in a meals- replace our senses? To what indigenous cuisines and delving
for-mentions trade-off with restaurants. extent does technology into the past to create a
Will traditional food critics have impact our taste? new culinary future.
the final say?
( F. O . F )
The 10 Commandments of
Making The New Chef Writing Food Reviews
pg.
04 pg.
17
You Are What You Waste Tradition vs Innovation
Table pg.
08 pg.
19
Recipe for
of Garbage Soup
pg.
11 A Historical Future
Contents pg.
21
Fake Food
pg.
12 Credits
pg.
25
Reaching Critical Mess About CatchOn
pg.
15 pg.
26
Making
( pg. 04 )
In recent years, chefs have transitioned from
innovators to instructors. Blue collar cooks are
now white-knight advocates. As chefs continue
to step out of the kitchens and into the spotlight,
how will their public personas evolve?
The The Recipe for Success:
Take a dollop of chutzpah, add a
pinch of controversy, a generous
dose of creativity, stir until a perso-
nality starts to thicken, bring to
boil and present with a side dish
of showmanship.
Beyond mastering technical skills,
the chefs of tomorrow need to
understand farming methods and
design trends, and to be prepared to
mentor outside the kitchen and adapt
to changing technologies.
MAKING THE NEW CHEF
The MAD Symposium and global
Since the emergence of modern cooking events such as The Gelinaz
restaurants over 100 years ago, the Shuffle are creating communities
role of the chef has not changed. of like-minded culinary thinkers,
Traditionally regarded as cooks and or philochefers, who share ideas on
1 creators, for the most part they toiled the ever-evolving role of the chef.
behind the scenes, entirely comfortable These movements are creating a new
in their anonymity. Today however, generation of chefs who, although
successful chefs are entrepreneurs, coming from diverse backgrounds,
social activists and budding scientists. share a mission to change the way
we cook and eat.
Like engineers, doctors and tea-
chers, chefs can make a positive
impact on society. After all, the
ability to feed people and identify
healthy food sources remains a
global issue. Increasingly, chefs are
combining their collective talents to
challenge the ways we eat and cook.
New Chef
( F. O . F )
( pg. 05 )
Natasha Case, a former real estate
developer and designer respectively.
After losing their jobs in the
economic downturn, they bought
a food truck and introduced their
brand of “Farchitecture”, a combi-
nation of food and architecture.
In an effort to make architecture
accessible and fun, they launched
a range of ice creams and desserts
named after designers, like “Renzo
Apple Pie-ano”.
Today, food is being celebrated –
and elevated – as an art form. The
opening of New York’s Museum
of Food and Drink (MOFAD)
MAKING THE NEW CHEF
showcases the history, science
and culture of food. Likewise,
museums are turning their focus
to F&B programmes. In Situ
1 by Corey Lee, at the San
Francisco Museum of Modern
Art (SFMOMA), visitors are
guided through a gallery of
curated dishes from the world’s
most celebrated chefs.
The new The Artist In the future, we will see more
crossovers in the worlds of art,
roles...
Pierre Hermé, the great French pastry chef, is heralded as “the Picasso food and design. Chefs will
of Pastry”. The New York Times compares Ferran Adrià to Salvador Dalí. continue to push the boundaries
Vicky Lau, Asia’s Best Female Chef 2015, was a graphic designer before of culinary innovation, inviting
entering the kitchen. Frédéric Peneau, chef-restaurateur behind Hong Kong’s guests to dine in the dark, in
Serge et le phoque, is a former architect. stripped-back spaces or in avant-
garde settings designed to stir
Future chefs are no longer simply cooks working in restaurants,. they are the senses.
artisans, designers or visual artists operating in ‘studios’, ‘labs’ and ‘ateliers’.
Ukraine’s Dinara Kasko, a former architectural designer-turned pastry chef,
( F. O . F )
uses design software and 3D printing to mould pastry structures that replace
manual cooking techniques. Coolhaus, the Los Angeles-based ‘architecturally
inspired’ brand of gourmet desserts, was co-founded by Freya Estreller and
The Activist
( pg. 06 )
culture. Soup for Syria, a cookbook and humanitarian campaign designed
to raise awareness for the Syrian refugees, was created by Lebanese food
Name any hard-hitting issue today writer and photographer Barbara Abdeni Massaad.
– poverty, sustainability, genetic
modification, childhood nutrition, Food waste and sustainability remain some of the most pressing issues
refugees – and you’re likely to find facing chefs and restaurants today. Crafting strategies to address these
a chef doing their bit to solve it. issues is no longer an option but a business imperative. Bo.lan in Bangkok,
Chefs today are using their known for its contemporary Thai cuisine, is striving to become the city’s first
celebrity to create change with zero-waste restaurant by implementing its own organic waste recycling system
socio-economic and environ- and growing its own food.
mental issues.
Beyond the kitchen, chefs are embracing their new roles as agents of change.
Massimo Bottura, known for his Connecticut chef Michel Nischan, founder of non-profit Wholesome Wave, is
contemporary Italian cuisine and working to make farm-fresh produce available in low-income communities.
securing the No.1 spot in the World’s Similarly non-chefs are making the connection between low-income families
50 Best Restaurants 2016 list, is and access to nutritious food. American fashion designer Ron Finley, self-
taking haute cuisine to the streets, proclaimed “Guerrilla Gardener”, grows fruits and vegetables in South
MAKING THE NEW CHEF
feeding the homeless with his Los Angeles. “Growing your own food is like printing your own money!”
Refettorio initiative. During World says Finley. If food is as powerful as currency, we will be seeing more chefs
Expo 2015 in Milan and this year’s standing up to shape policy and running purpose-driven enterprises.
Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro,
1 he and his band of volunteer chefs
made comforting, nutritious meals
for the homeless from food waste
that would have otherwise been
thrown away.
Food and policy has never been
One of the forerunners in food so closely linked, with chefs acting
activism is British chef Jamie Oliver as counsel to politicians. Chef Dan
who has taken his fight against Barber of Blue Hill was appointed by
childhood obesity from school President Barack Obama to serve on
cafeterias to halls of government, the President’s Council on Physical
recently lobbying for a sugar tax Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, and is
in the U.K. While in the United one of many chefs leveraging their
States, former Noma head chef culinary clout to lobby for change.
Daniel Giusti launched Brigaid,
with the goal of putting chefs in Chefs are also coming to the rescue
schools to change the way students of refugees. Initiatives like The
eat. Schools are also funding pro- Conflict Kitchen, Migratory Chefs
grammes to start community farms (Les Cuistots Migrateurs) and the
( F. O . F )
and gardens where children can Refugee Food Festival had renowned
take a hands-on approach to under- chefs partnering with refugee chefs
standing where food comes from. for an exchange of gastronomy and
The Scientist
( pg. 07 )
More recently, chef Jean-Georges apps depend on a chef’s knowledge
Vongerichten started Food Dreams, of chemistry to understand how
a foundation that grants scholarships While chefs support artistic and meals can stay fresh and require
to graduates to pursue a career in philanthropic approaches to cooking, their input on the packaging, recipes
the culinary arts and Michael science and burgeoning technologies and ingredients.
Laiskonis, former executive pastry are changing how we eat.
chef of New York’s Le Bernardin, In developed nations, fewer people
was appointed creative director of Nathan Myhrvold, Microsoft’s Chief are cooking than ever before. In
the Institute of Culinary Education. Technology Officer, is famous for American households in 2014, for
his Modernist Cuisine cookbook, example, less than 60% of dinners
While culinary schools have been a which applies scientific principles served at home were actually cooked
thriving business, especially in the to cooking. J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, the at home. The figure was closer to
last decade, food brands also see American chef and author of The 75% 30 years earlier. Despite these
the value in education. High- Food Lab, is a graduate of MIT and findings, the irony is that interest
end chocolate brand Valrhona for explains complicated recipes through in cooking has never been higher.
example, has expanded its pro- scientific principles.
fessional school to Brooklyn, offering Millennials are spending more
MAKING THE NEW CHEF
pastry and confection classes with While a number of high-profile on ready-made foods, feeding the
world-renowned chefs. chefs, such as Heston Blumenthal creation of meal delivery companies
and Grant Achatz, are known as and pre-packaged foods. According
Although the restaurant industry much for their chemistry know-how to a recent U.S. report, in-store
1 remains competitive and stressful, as their culinary skills, we see this dining and take-out of prepared
communities of chefs are banding phenomenon filtering through to meals from grocery stores grew
The Educator together to share information and the general population. The phrase nearly 30% since 2008, account-
serve as mentors. With the chal- ‘molecular gastronomy’ once seemed ing for $10 billion of consumer
With an increased awareness of – lenges and costs involved in opening exotic, but with sous-vide machines spending in 2015.
and concern for – health, hunger a restaurant, the future will see now as common as a blender, the
and waste issues, chefs are using more chefs sharing their skills in concept has gone mainstream.
their expertise in schools and non- a classroom rather than a kitchen.
profit organisations. As diners develop more sophisticated
tastes, there is increased demand
Long before Michelle Obama for information. And technology is In the future,
answering this demand. Apps like Chef
chefs will need
converted the White House garden
into a vegetable patch, chef Steps provide an online community
and restaurateur Alice Waters,
the venerated high priestess of
of budding chefs who share fact-
based tips and no-fail recipes.
to be equal parts
the farm-to-table movement and story teller and
technical master.
founder of Chez Panisse, was Technology is also dictating the way
turning school playgrounds into we eat with a boom in meal-planning
“Edible Schoolyards”. Her pioneer- apps. With this trend, chefs assume
( F. O . F )
ing programme engages children the role of an engineer, working
by teaching them to grow and harvest with start-ups to determine what,
their own fruits and vegetables. when and how people will eat. These
1/3
( pg. 08 )
The world today faces of the food produced in Fruits and vegetables have the
what is called the U.S. consumers waste up highest wastage rates of any
the world for human consumption
“Triple burden of every year- approximately to 50% more food than food. In some countries, it adds
malnutrition : Hunger,
Undernutrition, 1.3 billion tonnes they did in the 1970s. up to 50% of the fruits
Obesity.” - gets lost or wasted. and vegetables produced.
You Are What
YOU ARE WHAT YOU WA STE
With global food production struggling to
keep pace with population growth, how are
2
diners, restaurateurs and chefs cooking up
solutions to produce more with less?
You Waste
U.K. supermarkets wasted Only 3% of wasted food
235,000 tonnes by U.K. supermarkets in Food production is struggling to keep up with
the global population growth. If nothing is
( F. O . F )
of food in 2015, of which good condition is donated
around half was avoidable to feed the needy. done, we are at risk of running out by 2050.
and in edible condition.
( pg. 09 )
The Waste Race
Increased awareness of food waste and its Start-ups, government initiatives and cutting-
impact on society and the environment is edge technologies are working to convert food
changing consumer behaviour and food waste into some thing edible.
manufacturing processes.
throughout the U.K., Australia, long. Here’s a cold fact: Freezing
Europe and America and we can does not alter the taste of food
YOU ARE WHAT YOU WA STE
FARMED TO FORM expect more in the near future. and freezers limit food waste.
Freezer technology will evolve
with speed-freezing functions and
Over 50% of vegetables and fruits HEARTBREAK improvements to eliminate freezer
2 are discarded because they don’t burns and icing. We will see more
look perfect, even though they’re FRIDGE ‘walk-in freezers’ in restaurant
perfectly fine to eat. Social move- kitchens filled with produce bought
ments are raising awareness of in season and therefore at a
imperfect food and educating con- “Wasting food has become so normal lower price.
sumers to look beyond the surface. there is now no stigma attached to
Supermarkets like Intermarché in throwing food away.” Likewise, ‘smart fridges’ now in
France, for example, sell imperfect development will play a crucial role
produce at a much cheaper price to This was the shocking truth in reducing food waste. These fridges
encourage consumption. discovered behind British super- can be linked to a mobile phone, giving
market chain Sainsbury’s recent users access to the contents of their
Start-ups are also doing their bit study on food waste patterns. In fridge while in the supermarket so
to curb food waste. Rubies in the response, the chain committed to they can avoid impulse purchases or
Rubble, a U.K. based start-up, distributing one million fridge ther- over buying.
creates relish and chutneys out mometers to ensure fridges stay
of food that would otherwise be at the optimum temperature to pro-
wasted. The Real Junk Food Project long the life of fresh food.
is a global, organic network of
pay-what-you-like cafes that con- U.K. households discard the equi-
( F. O . F )
vert food destined for landfills valent of six good meals a week,
into delicious meals. There are largely due to being unaware of what
already 125 of these cafés dotted can and can’t be frozen and for how( pg. 10 )
The app allows users to buy leftover Governments are also regulating example, developed a bio-refinery
WASTED food from restaurants or connects against companies that dump process that converts food waste
them with other shoppers nearby food in landfills. In America, five into textile fibres. The discovery
EDUCATION who have bought items in bulk or states and several cities have already could help manage the 3,600 tonnes
accidentally bought too much. introduced ‘landfill bans’ to reduce of food waste produced in Hong
food waste. In February, France Kong every day.
Consumers are changing their Sell-by dates are also responsible banned supermarkets from discarding
behaviour as they become more for food waste. 84% of American edible foods, making food donations Another invention, the ‘BioDigester’,
aware of the food waste issue. consumers admit to discarding food to food banks or charities obligatory. converts food and paper waste
Schools are also focusing on the after the recommended use-by date. into biofuel, which is combusted
problem. In Leeds in the U.K., both These labels are not indicators of to generate heat, electricity or
private and public schools have safety, but of freshness. The best way even renewable gas. In our fight
started food waste programmes to understand this is through cooking. JUNK against food waste, we will con-
and finding solutions. The Fuel for Cooking with leftovers will force tinue to see innovative processes
Food Project, for example, converts home cooks to think outside the box, FOOD that limit leftovers and recycle
wasted food into breakfasts for using a hodgepodge of ingredients to valuable resources.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU WA STE
primary school students. create a fresh new dish. In fact, Am-
ericans could rescue about 8 million Groundbreaking technology is help-
The online app Too Good To Go fur- pounds of food every year otherwise ing to reduce food waste. Scientists
ther illustrates consumer awareness. doomed by their use-by dates. at Hong Kong’s City University, for
2
( F. O . F )( pg. 11 )
Garbage Soup
Not quite your garden Ingredients
variety vegetable 4–5 potatoes of varying shapes and sizes, some bruised
soup but this hearty and dirty are fine
and delicious recipe
RECIPE
2 gnarly carrots
3 turns your grubs into 1 bruised, but firm onion (any colour is fine)
1 large leek (don’t worry, the dirt outside washes off)
a gourmet treat using 3 tbsp oil or fat (butter, lard, olive, grape, all are fine)
scraps destined for 6 cups vegetable stock (made with any vegetable scrap that
was about to hit the bin)
the garbage. ½ cup crème fraiche that’s one week past expiry
¼ cup minced herbs (gather all the bits left in your fridge)
Serves 1 Cooking Method
for many days, or
many for a day 1_________Cut and peel all the vegetables, making sure to peel
efficiently and save the scraps for compost.
2_________Sauté everything in a stock pot with the fat and cook
until slightly translucent without burning.
3_________Cover the vegetables with the stock and simmer until
softened and aromatic.
4_________Add the crème fraiche and herbs, stir and season.
5_________Enjoy with a nub of toasted stale bread.
( F. O . F )( pg. 12 )
FAKE FOOD
4
Farm to The farm to table movement promised an assurance of authenticity, quality and intimacy with
a meal’s origins. Unfortunately, that’s not the reality. Globalisation, economics, technology
Fable and the logistics of the supply chain have seasoned our food with uncertainty. Consumers
are now more disconnected than ever before to the origins of their food. While health
-conscious consumers embrace the concepts of ‘provenance’, ‘local’ and ‘farm fresh’, truth
is we’re being fed a diet of fake food and half-truths. As unscrupulous suppliers deceive
( F. O . F )
consumers through mislabelling, creative chefs are toying with our perceptions of real food
and science is pushing the boundaries of lab-grown meat.( pg. 13 )
Food Fraud guarantee the quality and provenance
of the food by demanding purveyors
to account for a secure supply chain.
When it comes to food production, To control the taste and quality of
their food, chefs will need to develop
if you can’t make it, fake it. new skills, from fermentation and
curing to bread making, farming
Who knew that our good intentions fish with cheaper alternatives. and butchering.
to eat healthier would backfire? Tilapia or tilefish for example, is very
Striving for a healthier lifestyle has often passed off as red snapper.
come at a high cost. The proven
health benefits of olive oil prompted Food fraud, whether in labelling Culinary Trompe L'oeil
a spike in sales and production. or provenance, is rampant and lax
Recently, however, it was discovered import laws have contributed to
that about 80% of Italian oil is nei- the practice. Chefs are using chemistry — and a heavy dose
ther extra virgin, from Italy or even
composed of olives. Similarly, wild Declining natural resources and
of creativity — to create gastronomic illusions.
porcini and chanterelle mushrooms unrelenting global demand has
sold in Italy may have actually been sparked increasing cases of food Molecular gastronomy ushered in Form, function and flavours will
grown in Yunnan, China. While fraud. In 2013, food sourcing and a whole new way of looking at and continue to collide in exciting ways
FAKE FOOD
there’s nothing wrong with Chinese- mislabelling became front page working with food. And while pundits to challenge convention. A look back
4 grown mushrooms, an ‘Italian’ news when it was discovered frozen have heralded its demise, chefs will at some of the most iconic dishes in
provenance speaks to a higher quality beef burgers sold in Irish and continue to manipulate flavours and the last decade tells you that what’s
and authenticity. British supermarkets contained horse textures, deconstruct then recreate ahead could be even more fantastical.
meat. More recently, Consumenten- food and serve us a bit of theatricality
For years, nutri- bond, a Dutch non-profit consumer on the plate and palate. Take Heston Blumenthal’s iconic
tionists have en- protection organisation, tested 150 ‘meat fruit’, a chicken liver parfait
couraged us to products and found one in five to The future of cooking won't just referencing Medieval flavours yet
add seafood to our be fake. Half the samples of manuka be about ingredient manipulation encased in modern form – a jelly
diet, hailing the honey were fraudulent as were 47% through gadgets and chemistry. that resembles a fresh Mandarin
curative effects of the lamb products. One-fifth of Flavour mimicry is on the rise. Chefs orange.Andoni Luis Aduriz of
of omega-3 acids. the tested lamb samples contained are looking beyond the kitchen and Spanish restaurant Mugaritz, serves
According to no lamb at all. laboratory into nature as a reference a veal dish that appears as a lump
OCEANA Asso- for culinary masquerade. Sorrel of charcoal. Grant Achatz from
ciation, though, Sadly, we don't see this trend resembles green apple. Ants taste like Chicago’s famed Alinea redesigned
one in five subsiding in the immediate future. berries. Black forest ham mimics the green apple taffy as an edible
seafood samples With real, non-processed food re- flavours of franks and beans, so when helium-filled balloon.
are intentionally sources dwindling and consumption paired with craft beer, is elevated with
mislabelled. increasing, the gap will be rife with complex aromas. Scent and flavour
Among the 2,5000 unscrupulous suppliers. Policing this are invisible elements that create the
( F. O . F )
sampled fish, 58% could cause isn't high on governments' lists and memory and associations of a dish,
health risks. To cut costs and boost it'll be up to consumer watchdog yet are the most challenging for chefs
profits, suppliers replaced expensive groups and individuals like chefs to to execute and diners to sense.( pg. 14 )
Fabricated Food
Lab-grown meat, once a Soylent Green symbol
of a dystopian future, is now a reality.
Increasingly, consumers are opting that are good for people and the
for vegetable-based meals for their planet.” Their inaugural product,
own health — and the health of the The Impossible Burger, is a lab-
planet. While a vegetable-based diet made meatless burger that cooks,
leaves a smaller carbon footprint, smells and bleeds like beef.
livestock production is responsible
for 14.5% of all greenhouse gas New Wave Foods, another Silicon
emissions. Coupled with fears Valley start-up, created an algae-
about hormones and rising beef based shrimp, with flavours and
prices, it’s hardly surprising that textures to replicate the crustacean.
meat consumption in the U.S.
has been declining for a decade. While plant-based meat has
secured a place in the future,
FAKE FOOD
Vegetable-forward restaurants its development will run parallel
4 – where vegetables are the main to in vitro – or ‘synthetic’ –
attraction – are increasingly popular. meats. Although production has
Al’s Place in San Francisco’s Mission yet to reach a commercial scale,
District, for example, lists meat as a it’s likely to achieve this goal
side dish on its menu. At the forefront in the near future. Unlike tradi
of a growing trend, Bon Appétit -tional cattle farming, however, in
magazine named Al’s Place its best vitro meat production leaves no
new restaurant in 2015. carbon footprint, making it a very
attractive option.
Due to advances in the food-tech
industry, though, several startups
have replicated the taste of meat in
plant-based products. The Silicon
Valley start-up Impossible Foods
has raised $75m to develop plant-
based meat and cheese imitations.
According to the company’s website:
“The world loves meat, but relying on
cows to make meat is land-hungry,
( F. O . F )
water-thirsty and pollution-heavy.
That’s why we set out to do the
impossible: make delicious meats( pg. 15 )
Reaching
Over the last ten years,
food criticism has
changed immeasurably.
Where once it was
R eaching C ritica l M ess
the domain of feared
professional food
writers in venerable
broadsheet newspapers,
5
today anyone – and
seemingly everyone! – is
a critic. Whether Yelping
or Instagramming,
tweeting or blogging, the
multitude of voices and
opinions has become a
cacophonous roar.
Critical Mess
( F. O . F )( pg. 16 )
Social media has positively With a media universe in flux,
impacted food criticism. bloggers have the last word.
Discuss.
In an age of attention-deficient readers who won’t spend more than three
minutes on a story, it’s easy to posit that bloggers will be the future arbiters
Chefs and restaurant owners now have multiple channels of feedback on their of taste.
work, even if they’re not always happy to read them. Some of the best bloggers
have the integrity, experience and talent to stand as credible voices, often But judging by the success of LA Times food critic Jonathan Gold,
beating professional critics when it comes to audience size, while many of the respected critics still have a powerful voice. No ordinary writer, he’s been
world’s top chefs have embraced Instragram and other platforms in order to the subject of a feature-length documentary, titled City of Gold, and also
showcase their most beautiful dishes. holds the distinction of being the first and only food critic to win a Pulitzer
Prize for his work. His rigorous approach delivers a passionate, informed
Food magazine Saveur’s annual awards champion the very best blogs, while and hugely entertaining body of work that is testament to how good – and
standout personal sites such as Ulterior Epicure or The London Foodie gain important! – food writing can be.
R eaching C ritica l M ess
thousands of followers and readers.
His is a world where money and status are irrelevant, where dining epiphanies
take place in plush dining rooms in Beverly Hills as well as in front of humble
taco stands. His voice is counted on by thousands of readers and can determine
the success – or otherwise – of new restaurants.
Most bloggers are merely
5
blackmailers. Agree? Another voice comes in the form of respected lists such as The World's 50
Best Restaurants or The Michelin Guide, both of which allow for informed
debate and discussion around the value of restaurant criticism. While often
For every painstakingly-researched and considered online review, there are controversial and always subjective – let’s not pretend otherwise – they
countless cringe-inducing stories of threats from bloggers to post bad reviews also serve to connect diners to the world of gastronomy, identifying and
unless a restaurant serves up a complimentary meal. John Lethlean writes endorsing new destinations and trends, broadening culinary horizons.
at The Australian newspaper and reported how a Sydney-based restaurant
called out a request from an Instagrammer to get a free meal in exchange So where does that leave food criticism going forward? Will bloggers and
for “Instagram coverage and reviews.” The restaurant’s response was Instagrammers overtake the Jonathan Golds of the world?
barely fit to print.
It would seem that a hybrid of these various attributes could provide the
This new paradigm of food ‘criticism’ is not a flash in the frying pan. Those Holy Grail of food criticism: knowledgeable, beautiful, impartial, carefully-
seeking to shamelessly profit from culinary blackmail are unfortunately crafted copy, allied with compelling images, social and digital integration,
here to stay. Taking on the digital cowboys at their own game, naming and backed up where necessary by credible industry lists and sources.
shaming some of those guilty of profiteering, is one response. But this being
a vast and unregulated universe, most have carried on regardless, hunting Ultimately, one thing hasn’t changed: Diners still want to read from
down the next free risotto or Rioja. writers who truly know what they are talking about. Those who have
years of experience tasting, researching, interviewing and writing come to
( F. O . F )
As Lethlean explained, qualified food critics seem to be “a diminishing their conclusions based on experience, not on free lunches or Photoshopped
coterie who are more valuable than ever in a world of exploding food options”. iPhone snaps.( pg. 17 )
{I}
10
Dining out can make
you poor. It doesn’t
make you a seasoned
THE 10 COMMANDMENTS OF WRITING FOOD RE VIE WS
food critic.
The { II }
Thou shalt not use one’s
position to secure free
meals or receive special
treatment. Contrary to
6 what many assume, the
Commandments
restaurant is under no
obligation to host your
friends or members
of your family.
of Writing { III }
Restaurants shalt
Food Reviews
not expect a favourable
review upon offering
a free meal and likewise
critics shalt not let
a free meal influence
( F. O . F )
the review.( pg. 18 )
{ IV } { IX }
Thou shalt not write Thou shalt reflect upon
bland reviews. Support the work and discipline
your opinions with of legendary food critics,
THE 10 COMMANDMENTS OF WRITING FOOD RE VIE WS
a deeper knowledge from A.A Gill to Pete
of food rather than Wells, Jonathan Gold
relying on taste alone. or Fay Maschler before
considering to be one.
{V} { VII } {X}
Thou shalt ask. If you’re Thou shalt follow basic Thou shalt strive to be
unclear about a menu’s journalistic standards original in formulating
6 concept or a dish’s by fact checking all one’s opinions and not
ingredients, ask during details and accurately be influenced by prior
the meal. Don’t voice spelling the name of the reviews and comments
your assumptions or chef and restaurant. made by others.
misgivings after the fact.
{ VI } { VIII }
Thou shalt keep a Restaurants shall
professional distance observe that there is
from chefs. How else no such thing as a
can one maintain ‘soft opening’. If the
objectivity? doors are open, you’re
open to criticism.
( F. O . F )Tradition vs
( pg. 19 )
Innovation
TR ADITION vs INNOVATION
7 blandness. In this instance, ‘cooking’
comprises taking a measurement,
Synthetic adding water, shaking and consum-
ing. No chewing required.
pleasures Even taste and flavours are
The process and skill once required synthetic reproductions. ‘Real food’
to create a perfect cup of coffee has been engineered in an effort to
no longer apply, making the office replicate the original taste of food
We’re quickly losing the art of ‘coffee break’ obsolete. Instead, it’s we’ve lost through technological
dining. In the pursuit of efficiency, now possible to chew on a caffeine advances in food production and
the rituals of cooking and eating gummy from Go Cubes to trick farming. Our taste buds are no understanding of a dish.
have been reduced to their most your brain into receiving a caffeine longer able to detect subtleties, a Tastemade, the digital food and
basic forms. What was once a jolt and powering through an skill prized in haute-cuisine. travel publisher, gets more than
communal experience is now a extended workday. 1.3 billion monthly views on
solo chore. We don’t cook, but we want to see Facebook and averages 300,000
The meditative ritual of tea making how food is prepared. We can views per day on Instagram with
Cooking has become an inconven- has been debased into an aerosol watch a two-hour stew being made their regular video recipe posts.
ience, disrupting our daily work- can. With No More Tea Bags, users through two-minute cooking videos. Despite these staggering numbers,
obsessed routine. For a protein boost, simply spray the contents into a cup No words or personalities are millennials are still not entering
( F. O . F )
we take powdered shakes in the form and add hot water. Turns out even required to explain complex instruc- the kitchen, and most likely will
of Soylent and Huel and tolerate the 90-second routine of immersing a tions, but a pair of hands chopping never recreate the dishes they’ve
its gritty contents and cardboard tea bag into hot water can be sped up. and sautéing away will teach the watched online.( pg. 20 )
at a table for one.” The ‘table for one’ perfecting crème Anglaise be-
reservation is becoming the norm cause the Control Freak will
Single as more people accept the reality of Cooks in do it for you.
dining alone and restaurants adapt
signals with bar seating and communal tables. Control Through technology, we can limit
This disconnect is compounded by the failures and feel less intimi-
the use of smartphones. As we eat dated about cooking. The advances
in silence and stare into the screen, do the calculations, measurements
This super-efficient and hyper- we share images via smartphones We want to be better cooks without and guesswork for us. We are
connected world has reduced the to our virtual dinner companions. ever having to cook. New cooking adapting the way we eat and cook to
need for physical interaction. We The communal act of eating is now gadgets allow us to produce no-fail make the processes quicker and easier.
order food through a meal app, never online as the internet consumes recipes with precision and control, But through these changes are
once having to look at or interact our food and we, in turn, consume skills normally developed through we losing our instincts, intuition
with a person. We learn about res- the internet! years of training. and vulnerability? With the internet,
taurants and food through photo- societal shifts and the advent of
graphy and on our Instagram feeds. Our reliance on technology is virtual reality headsets, social
TR ADITION vs INNOVATION
Images profile a dish, its flavours and replacing our ability to cook with isolation is likely to rise. Eating and
associated emotions. Add a #hashtag our senses and learning from our cooking, once communal experiences,
and geotag and we feel like we’ve failures. Breville’s Control Freak, are likely to become solitary duties
already been there, done that. the latest induction cooktop, allows performed out of necessity rather
for unprecedented control of temp- than connection.
7 Social scientists are also pointing erature, heat speed and time.
out to the growing number of Cooks no longer have to practice
single people. In 1970, there were
38 million single people in the
U.S., constituting 28% of the
population. In 2014, there were
107 million and they comprised
45% of the population.
Restaurateurs are taking advantage
of this go-it-alone trend. Marina
Van Goor is the creator of Eenmaal,
Amsterdam’s pop-up restaurant
catering purely for solo diners. Her
intention is to destigmatise eating
alone. “I’ve already got such positive
reactions to the concept,” Van Goor
explains. “In a global busy city, there’s
an increasing interest in moments of
( F. O . F )
disconnection. With Eenmaal, we
have created an attractive place for
such a disconnection, by eating aloneA
( pg. 21 )
Historical
Future Is In The Past: In a back-to-basics trend,
chefs are honouring primal cooking techniques,
returning to fire and water, exploring indigenous
cuisines and delving into the past to create a new
culinary future.
a historica l future
Nostalgia and history are shaping the way we eat. Our generation is
focused on recovering, preserving and maintaining cultural traditions
through food by referencing historical texts and recipes or revitalising
ancient cooking methods in a contemporary context.
8
co m e s to e a t in g, fo o d an d
When it ed.
a re in e x t ri c a b ly li n k
memory
Future
( F. O . F )( pg. 22 )
with open-fire cooking, traditional • Seaweed is replacing kale as the • Bottled water will be
cast iron cooking vessels and new green alternative. eliminated from restaurants
Fired Up hand-forged brass cutlery are also • The Japanese ‘raindrop’ cake, with diners opting instead
making a comeback. As respect for a traditional dessert featuring for ‘house water’ made from
cooking traditions grow, people transparent agar jelly, became purified water or sparkling
will continue to find ways to recon- an online sensation and sparked water makers.
nect with their past, tap into food a craze for see-through dishes. • Plant-based water is evolving
The discovery of fire marked the memories and explore with primal, • Clean, clear ice blocks are beyond coconut and aloe drinks.
dawn of civilisation. Despite the natural elements. elevating whisky appreciation and Cactus, maple and artichoke
many technological developments the art of mixology. waters have the added nutri-
in cooking and farming, fire • Sous-vide cooking, the vacuum tional benefits that are gaining
remains a primal symbol that and water-based cooking method popularity over sport drinks.
unites cultures and binds us at the heart of molecular cuisine, • Farming with seawater not
with nature. Water you has now made its way into the only addresses the issue of
waiting for consumer’s kitchen and given a water shortage, but also provides
On the Netflix series Chef’s Table, key role in daily food preparation. a solution to producing food
Argentinian chef Francis Mallmann in challenging environments
A HISTORICAL FUTURE
celebrated open-fire cooking and With water-based farming and food and climates.
revealed a movement where chefs Water is the source of all food. production on the rise, we can expect
are digging pits, firing up grills, Dating back to prehistoric times, changes in the way we cook and eat.
and abandoning the glistening cooking with water signalled a
8 kitchen for smoke and soot. tremendous advancement. It tamed • Braising and stews will make
the uncontrollable beast that is fire, a comeback. A healthy alter-
Sweden’s Niklas Ekstedt is another allowed a simple pot to braise and native to grilling and sautéing,
chef who has ditched modern boil and introduced new flavours big pot cooking evokes a nostalgic
technology in his restaurant and and textures. With global warming home cooking vibe.
opted instead to burn a variety of and increasing drought affecting • Steaming, a foundation to
Scandinavian woods for fuel. His food-producing regions, we are Chinese cuisine, will be more pro-
rustic cooking methods reflect learning that water is a resource, minent in Western cuisines as
a back-to-basics movement that not a commodity. health-conscious consumers edu-
is being embraced by chefs around cate themselves about how food
the world. While fire will continue to ignite is cooked. ‘Steam restaurants’
culinary excitement, water is in Asia will eventually expand
While cooking is as old as time, its reviving how we farm, cook, eat and to western countries and replace
organic, untamed qualities recall preserve our food. For example: the Asian hot-pot experience.
how our ancestors survived. Cooking • Chilled liquids such as ice
with fire is at the heart of so many • Hydroponic farming, a more cream, shaved ice and slushies
culinary traditions and dishes, from environmentally-friendly alter- will continue to reign. Chefs will
South Africa’s ‘braai’, to Mongolian native that does not need soil, continue to refine their ice-cream
grilling, Turkish kebabs, and English re-uses water, produces higher and frozen confection repertoire,
( F. O . F )
Sunday roasts. yields and requires less space. whether it’s creating nostalgic
• Algae-based seafood is emerg- soft-serve confections or avant-
Complementing this new obsession ing as a replacement for proteins. garde creations.( pg. 23 )
New York City’s Brooks Headley, formerly the pastry chef at Del Posto,
left his four-star kitchen to open Superiority Burger, an unpretentious
Looking back to forge a future restaurant serving a vegetarian and “accidental” vegan menu. Bangkok’s
Gaggan Anand will reportedly leave his top-ranking restaurant by 2020
to move to Japan to open a small restaurant. There’s a collective movement
among chefs to scale back the size of their restaurants, reducing service
and going for a back-to-basics vibe. Chefs want to regain ownership
What is Culture Without Cuisine? of the kitchen and restaurant, creating more intimate and less
While chefs rebuild a relationship with nature through fire and water, pretentious dining environments.
many are also revisiting culinary traditions to create cultural touchstones.
The comfort of simple foods such as ice cream, burgers or a bowl of
Our ability to link a dish with a country shows how integral food hot noodles triggers childhood memories. Chefs are trying to recapture
is to a cultural identity. What dim sum is to Hong Kong, ramen is to these fleeting food memories through simple, familiar food. El Bulli’s
Japan, tiramisu is to Italy and hot dogs are to the U.S.. Looking to dig Ferran Adrià, for example, wanted to create a pizzeria to deconstruct the
into their cultural roots, chefs are exploring dishes that have been world’s most popular dish to provide an ‘honest interpretation’ on why it
lost to time and unearthing agricultural species that connect the past remains so popular.
to the present.
A HISTORICAL FUTURE
While an experimental meal can surprise your senses and expectations,
In an effort to preserve Italian heritage, Italian agronomist Isabella Dalla memories of comfort food are both personal and universal. Pop-rock
Ragione is preserving Italy’s forgotten fruits by referencing Renaissance candies speak to a global generation while Spam speaks to another.
-era still-life paintings for ancient fruit varieties and cultivating them. Given the high cost of labour and ingredients, chefs and diners will
8 Likewise, the Southern Exposure Seed Exchange in the U.S. has been turn their focus to creating food that revives priceless childhood
preserving a slice of American culinary identity through heirloom seed memories. Food that evokes a sense of nostalgia might just be the highest
saving. At the recently opened National Museum of African American expression of culinary skill.
History and Culture, a café serves regional American cuisine that reflects
the diversity of African-American cuisine.
In the current climate of political and racial turmoil, indigenous identities
are strengthened as ethnic groups stand to be recognised. “Sioux chef” Sean
Sherman sought to recover the lost flavours of indigenous North Americans
by mining anthropological and ethnographic texts and diary entries of
his native ancestors. Indonesian “culinary anthropologist” Lisa Virgiano
studied the cooking methods of the 600-plus native tribes that make up
the Indonesian archipelago in order to create an authentic menu at restau-
rant Kaum in Potato Head, Bali.
A Back-to-Basics Recipe
Acting as culinary scholars, chefs are changing the dining experience.
While fine dining will continue to occupy a revered space in gastronomic
arts, pedigree chefs are abandoning their stars for scaled-down simplicity,
( F. O . F )
opting to create accessible, nostalgia-evoking menus.Catchon research team
Paul Calder Lafite Li Katherine Tang
Catherine Feliciano-Chon Charmaine Lim Bianca Vergara
Belle Fung Joanne Liu Angela Wong
Nicole Koo Jenny Lo Eric Wong
Suzanne Lai Patty Ng Iris Wu
( F. O . F )
Alison Lee Virginia Ngai Ingrid Yan
Grace Li Lindsey Sun Vicky Yang
Special Thanks
Bernice Chan - Chan Chun Wai - Peggy Chan - Wendell Chan - Chris Dwyer
Richard Ekkebus - Celia Hu - Susan Jung - Janice Leung Hayes
William Lyon - Charmaine Mok - Vincent Mui - Charles Pelletier
Nuttorn Vongsurawat - Debbie Yong - Veronica Yu( F. O . F )
CatchOn is a brand ABOUT
communications and PR
consultancy in hospitality,
travel, and lifestyle. While
we’re usually busy spicing
up brands, cooking up
creative ideas, stirring up
media interest, or making
the unsavory palatable,
we’re always on the hunt
for what’s next. Food has
long held our fascination
because it intersects with
virtually every aspect
of living today.
# do
you
The third edition of c at c
“The Future of Food” hon
is our way of sharing our
interest in the growing
global discourse.
at
Contact us nco.com
eof food @ catcho
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