Market focus
Chefs with style Traditional chefs' whites remain a standard in the food industry, part of a tradition that dates back to the mid-19th century. However, times are changing and, increasingly, chefs are looking at more stylish and individual clothing to set themselves apart.
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Uniforms by Emile Rassam
ommon in kitchens around the world is the traditional chef’s uniform of toque, white double-breasted jacket, and checkered pants. It’s both practical and a clean indentifier of a chef’s position in the brigade cle - tthe taller the toque, the more senior the chef. The jacket can be reversed to hide stains. The thick Th cotton protects the chef from heat. The checked co trousers again hide stains. tro In more traditional restaurants, especially traditional French restaurants, the white chef's tra coat is considered part of a traditional uniform co and serious chefs wear white coats to signify the an importance and high regard of their profession. im These traditions date back to the mid-19th century when French Chef Marie-Antoine Careme ce is credited with developing the current chef's uniform. And, later, French Master Chef Georges un Auguste Escoffier encouraged his kitchen staff Au to wear suits outside of work to signify their professionalism. pr For many chefs, these traditions hold still but, increasingly, younger chefs are seeking a hipper in image and the toque has given way to the tight im cap. Other chefs, through personal choice or to ca help differentiate their restaurant, have discarded he traditional white and can now be seen in black, red tra or blue ‘whites’. Ho are these trends developing? To find an How answer, we discussed the issues with three of the an region’s key uniform suppliers: re N Nicolas Dujardin, Area Manager Middle East A Asia, Kwintet Middle East (Bragard) V Vicky Hales, Emile Rassam D David Sprakes, Design & Production Manager, A Ronai Ho much do you feel chef uniforms reflect on the How image of the restaurant? im Nicolas Dujardin: Chef uniforms are, with inner Ni decoration, the main image of the restaurant. A de beautiful and tidy uniform will obviously provide be an image of high quality and global hygiene. With an increasing number of open kitchens, the kitchen uniform reveals the pride image of the chefs un offering a culinary experience to its customers. of Vicky Hales: This very much depends on whether Vi or not it's an open kitchen and, frankly, even when it is they only try to incorporate an element of the
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The Pro Chef Middle East / April Ap A pri rril il il 2013 20 2 0 013 13 1 3
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