How Many Celebrity Chefs Can You Name?

Paul Hose

June 29, 2021
11:37 am

I was recently asked; How many celebrity chefs can you name? I thought about it. Gordon, Jamie, Nigella, Marco, James, Heston, Rick, Raymond, Delia, Mary . . . My options grew thin quite quickly. I was then asked:

How many professional chefs are there in the United Kingdom?

I had no idea. According to the Office for National Statistics, there were in excess of 158,000 chefs working in the United Kingdom earning an average of £350.00 per week (excludes London).

Of the 158,000 working within the sector, I could name only 0.0056% of them.

How does this relate to the creative industries?

Success should not be based on fame. If that were the case, the odds are indeed stacked against all of us. A part of our role at the MLC is to help people make informed decisions and then empower them. We are often approached by concerned families that their son/daughter has expressed an interest in a career within the arts and I as wrote in a recent post, they needn’t be.

There are 2.1 million people working within the creative industries in the UK – 67% of them employed. These roles range from accountant to tour manager and Film / TV / Game Composer to website designer.

Half of UK workers plan to make career changes as a result of COVID-19

People are thinking about their future. A recent study suggests that as many as five million people are planning to turn a new hobby into an income stream. This raises a multitude of questions for the economy but here are two for you to consider:

Are they prepared to run their own freelance business and;
Are you well-positioned to compete with them in the marketplace?

Being a proficient guitarist or web designer doesn’t necessarily mean that you have the knowledge required to prepare a cash flow forecast, SWOT analysis or develop a brand. And if you’ve traded with relative success for “the last twenty” years might mean that a new, enthused and highly qualified group of professionals may be preparing to give you a run for your money.

Helping you prepare for today’s modern economy

If you are wanting to professionalise your teaching practice or want to set up a micro or freelance business, we here at the MLC are ready to help. Our team of highly qualified and experienced instructors have developed a suite of university-level courses that follow three pathways:

Business
Performance
Teaching

Having completed the courses, your work will then be summatively assessed by world-leading experts at RSL Awards. Successful students will be awarded either a level four or level six diploma by RSL Awards.

Areas of study include, but are not limited to health and safety, an awareness of UK legislation, marketing, brand development, performance, safeguarding, business planning and much more.

A creative workforce is not limited to the arts. It is however born from them. Creativity exists within science, technology, architecture, teaching, sport and more besides. Those who can think creatively and with divergence will not only survive within a modern economy, they will thrive in it.