Here’s What Chefs Really Think About Your Food Instagram Habit

27.07.2023 - 18:29 / smartertravel.com

Food pics on Instagram feeds can sate even the biggest visual appetite. Search a hashtag such as #food or #restaurant and you’ll find the world represented through its dishes. A sweet bun served up in a village tea house in Myanmar, a high-concept amuse bouche straight from Paris, a mile-high roadhouse burger from somewhere along Route 66—there’s something for every taste.

But what do chefs think of the rise of dining-room social media? I asked 9 chefs around North America to weigh in. Here’s what they said:

“Chefs, being the biggest culprits of both awesome and awful food ‘gramming, seem pretty tolerant to such similar obsessions of the amateur or home cook. What’s nice though is when those shots are accompanied by a fun or funny one liner or word making the experience slightly more entertaining. Too often posts are just too earnest. In the end there’s little time to forge a strong opinion given the vast amount of content on Instagram and the speed with which we cruise through it all.”

Hugue Dufour, Chef and Owner, M. Wells Steakhouse and M. Wells Dinette, Long Island City, New York

“First of all, I’m as guilty as the next person of doing this. Instagram is so fun! But in that same breath I think we all need to live in the moment a little more and not document every single thing we do. But if we are going to document a particularly special moment or meal I only have a couple concerns: 1- Don’t let the food get cold! Take your snap then put the phone away and post it later. Eat the food while it’s at its best. Enjoy your company and the environment. 2- Make sure to use good lighting! 3- Tag us if you are posting it online (see number two before you tag though … make the photo worthwhile to be posted).”

Liz Sassen, Owner, Homestead, Oakland, California

“It can be funny sometimes when you see a person shining a light on your dish and another person is taking a picture. But it doesn’t bother me at all. Social media is a much larger conversation. Tech is such a part of our lives that it’s just part of the world we live in. I have a new Instagram habit, now it’s my way of telling the story through my life of food, not just my food—it’s less about pictures of my recipes and more about farms I visit and fishermen I’m out on the boats with.”

Ned Bell, Ocean Wise Executive Chef, Vancouver Aquarium

“I think it’s great for customers to shoot photos of food, but hopefully they will also eat it before it gets cold. Remember kids, here are the steps–shoot your pics, eat and enjoy your food while it’s fresh, post to social media between courses, or after your meal!”

Bruce Hill, San Francisco Chef/Restauranteur/Inventor

“When patrons whip out their phone and