Who is the Greatest TV Chef of Them All?
editorTV shows like America’s Iron Chef have got us thinking about who the greatest TV chef really is.
Cooks started appearing on television almost as soon as it had become commercially available across the Western world, with Fanny Cradock one of the most popular in the mid to late 50s.
Looking back, it’s hard to believe the BBC put up with Fanny’s (self-confessed) rudeness and dismissive traits, but she did bring affordable yet gourmet food to people, and there’s no denying she was a fantastic cook. TV chefs having larger-than-life personas ballooned in the noughties and we’ve now got personalities like shouty-sweary Gordon Ramsay and no-nonsense Marco Pierre White. But wouldn’t we rather be on edge about whether food will surprise us or not, rather than whether the chef who cooked it is going to reign terror over our evenings? We’re not talking about who the best entertainer is, or who can beat the most professional chefs, we’re talking about who is the best at teaching people about cooking, whilst injecting some passion into the process.
These TV chefs include the likes of Julia Child. It’d be great to say that Julia’s UK equivalent was Fanny Cradock, but while they were popular on TV at around the same time, these two couldn’t be less alike. Child won her audiences with warm American humour, whereas Cradock was often cruel and entertaining because she put the audience on edge.
Jamie Oliver has brought healthy cooking to the masses.
Jamie and Heston
Jamie Oliver and Heston Blumenthal are hard to decide on, as it seems you either love them or hate them. In comparison to Ramsay, they’re the Kings of Cool. Not only is Blumenthal self-taught to Michelin star standard, composed and relaxed, but he’s passionate about the science behind cooking and is definitely not short of creative influence too. Does that sound like sucking up? Sorry, can’t help it. These guys are great!
Bourdain and Pepin
While we’re on the subject of raw cooking talent, we couldn’t possibly ignore America’s Anthony Bourdain, an ex-executive chef of Brasserie Les Halles. Okay so he doesn’t have his own cooking show as such, but his ‘A Cook’s Tour’ is a huge hit and we know he’s not short of presenting skills. We say give this man a cookery show (if he wants one) and bring his own expertise to the people.
In a similar vein we have US-based French professional chef Pepin. What great chefs like Delia Smith may lack in spark, inspiration and brutal honesty, Pepin more than makes up for. His pooh-poohing of Ming Tsai’s opinions shows us his confidence in his own tastes and how great he is at subtle entertainment (which is exactly what we like in a cookery show).
Anthony Bourdain: a true cook.
Alton Brown
Not so subtle is US chef Alton Brown. He’s never been professionally trained or qualified, but neither has Blumenthal so Brown earns his place on the list for his great cooking skills. This TV chef could arguably be bringing in the younger audience with his very visual cooking programmes and silly ways of explaining the science behind certain dishes and individual ingredients.
Keith Floyd
The 1990s gave birth to classic English gentlemen in the kitchen, such as Nigel Slater, Rick Stein and, of course, Keith Floyd. The UK said a sad goodbye to Keith in late 2009, but we’re fairly sure his love of alcohol with food and his quirky, flamboyant presenting skills will continue to inspire people to cook, without a need for organization or precision.
After much deliberation we just can’t decide who the greatest TV chef of all time actually is. Heston Blumenthal, Julia Child, Jacques Pepin and Jamie Oliver are all in the running, after some painstaking whittling. Heston and Jamie won’t appeal to everyone, but then Child and Pepin may be too subtle and conventional to suit all tastes.
What we want to ask is: who is your favourite TV chef of all time, and why are they better than their competition?
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bambam
Alton Brown is in fact professionally trained, at the New England Culinary Institute, and is qualified to call himself ‘chef”.
Brown fan
Actually, Alton has been professionally trained - he graduated from New England Culinary Institute.
Floyd Rules!
Floyd was by far the best tv chef! He has inspired so many people across the globe and, as regards to gastronomy, he was the father of the British nation!