Finally, Another Award Show for Restaurants
The World Restaurant Awards aims for serious social change with an IMG-produced ceremony that lauds diversity—and the best “tattoo-free” chef.
Roasted corn-fed chicken “inspiration dish” for Alain Ducasse’s Singapore restaurant. He’s up for “Tattoo-Free Chef of the Year” in the World Restaurant Awards.
Source: Raffles Hotel
We are deep into award season, long evenings of small statues, golden medallions, engraved lucite placards. No, it’s not just the Grammys, the Oscars, the Golden Globes, and the Emmys. As chefs have become celebrities, they too demand their own ceremonies, with red carpets, scandal, and speeches cut off halfway through.
Of course, this isn’t new. Chefs and restaurateurs have long chased after accolades and for good reason. Unlike other forms of entertainment, there’s no trailer or streaming service to easily lure customers into a restaurant. Traditionally it has fallen to celestial bodies in the form of critics or the Michelin Guide to air-traffic-control the discerning hungry. They wave stars and shimmering awards like flares toward the dining room.