Like many people throughout the world, I was deeply saddened to hear about the recent death of Anthony Bourdain. A man with a desirable, dynamic and authentic personal brand, he was not your average celebrity chef, author, travel documentarian, and presenter. Bourdain introduced us to cultural culinary delights of people and places throughout the world in his television series and in doing so filled us with wanderlust and a strong affection toward him.
Anthony Bourdain had an incredibly authentic personal brand, the first time I ever watched him on ‘No Reservations’ many years ago, I was instantly drawn to this charismatic New Yorker. A chef by trade he’d done his time in the kitchens of New York and reached the top of his game and wrote best-selling books that gave us insights into the unglamorous side of the hospitality world.
Not your average self-centered celebrity chef and presenter, Bourdain had a unique style, whereby he tapped into that priceless local knowledge we all want to immerse ourselves in when we travel to places unknown. Through the sharing of food with locals who were passionately connected to their culture and love of cooking he uncovered the soul of a place. Off the tourist trail, he would take us into unelaborated local eateries that contained gastronomical delights and good local brew to match. He connected to people and place like no other and had a fabulous time doing so.
Bourdain’s opportunistic and charismatic nature meant he would often be invited into the kitchens and backyards of home cooks throughout the world or share a local meal in Hanoi with the President of the United States or talk about healthy eating with Iggy Pop and hang with some of the worlds best chefs. He would rub shoulders with people from all walks of life and treated them equally which made us love him even more.
The world has been blessed and enriched by his presence, a dynamic passionate individual, he will be sorely missed.
Vale Anthony Bourdain.
Emma Ferris