Time again for a roundup of some news tidbits from the Foodsphere that did rate a mention in this space, but didn’t really have enough meat to constitute a whole (post) serving. Behold the latest news bites, guaranteed to amaze and amuse…
Iconic TV chef Gordon Ramsay is preparing to launch a family dynasty.
Daughter Tilly is getting her own Amazon Prime cooking show…
Tilly takes the reins
Sort of. Word is that Tilly Ramsay – daughter of infamous TV chef Gordon – is preparing to take the torch from her dad’s hand and carry on the family tradition. Actually, it’s more like she’s bumming a light. She’s been signed to star in her own Amazon Prime cooking show, called Dish It Out.
Tilly (short for Matilda) is set to make 15 episodes in her first season. The show’s premise is that, each week, she and a famous chef from round the world will partner to make a dish from a box of mystery ingredients.
Amazon is excited
Lauren Anderson from Amazon MGM studios enthused: “We are so pleased to partner with Tastemade’s award-winning [production] team to bring Tilly Ramsay’s fresh and fun approach to cooking to our Amazon customers. Tilly’s charm, exuberance, and ability to create memorable food experiences has already delighted her millions of followers, and we look forward to introducing her to a new audience of food, cooking, and lifestyle enthusiasts.”
All of which doesn’t mean Gordon is retiring. Far from it. He still has dozens of restaurants around he world to oversee. And, though he recently cancelled Kitchen Nightmares, he’s still very much a fixture on the top-tier Food TV scene.
Chipotle seeking young blood
The sometimes controversial, recently revived Tex Mex Burrito chain is campaigning hard for additional employees. Seems ‘Burrito Season’ is coming, and Chipotle is seeking to hire an additional 19,000 rollers and bowl builders chain-wide to help with the anticipated annual March-to-May flood of customers.
What they’re offering
Chipotle is offering a special benefits package designed to attract Gen Zs. Since many in that demographic are addled with crushing student loan debt, the employer will automatically bank 4 percent of each pay cheque in a 401K retirement account. “Employees who qualify no longer have to choose between paying off student debt or saving for retirement,” he company explained, in a statement.
In addition, Chipotle is offering an unprecedented ‘humanitarian’ benefit package, reflecting the spiritual and emotional needs of the Zs. They’ll get, “six free sessions with a licensed counselor, as well as access to tools, resources, and community support for legal, financial, and family matters.”
The chain notes that 73 percent of their employees are Gen Z members, and the new benefits are designed toi specifically address the ‘challenges’ these kids face.
“Empowering our talent is embedded in our company’s culture,” says Ilene Eskenazi, Chipotle’s Chief Human Resources Officer. “As we push toward our long-term goal of operating 7,000 restaurants in North America, it’s crucial that we listen to and adapt to the needs of our team members, so they can grow with us.”
America’s Top Coffee Cities for 2024
According to a report by Clever.com, “The American coffee market has an estimated value of $11 billion and is expected to grow annually by over 3 percent in the next five years because of Americans’ love for java.”
Although, Clever does admit that the revenue increases may be the result of customer fortitude in the face of rising menu prices, rather than an increase in customers, themselves.
“This growth is impressive, despite our research, which indicates that Americans are generally cutting back on buying coffee in coffee shops. We found that 32 percent of Americans cut back on buying coffee in a cafe in 2023, and another 3 percent plan to do so in 2024.”
We could go into minute detail on how and why the Top Coffee Cities merited their selection as such. But what really matters is where folks drank the most Java…
The Top 5
- Portland, OR
- San José, CA
- San Diego, CA
- Denver, CO
- San Francisco, CA
Whoa! Seattle only came in at No. 10! The hallowed birthplace of Starbuck’s? The cradle of Premium Coffee culture? Just proves the old adage: Times change, and we change with the times…
My take
Hope you enjoyed this capsule items from the Foodsphere! We’ll sever up another buffet of them when we collect enough to fill a whole, official post again…
~ Maggie J.