The foodie craze

Food has always been a popular topic. Diet and cookbooks have topped best seller lists for decades. And the cultural moment of food consciousness continues to soar. Increasingly more TV channels are elbowing their way into the kitchen, often with edgier fare, a greater variety of ethnic cuisines, and are going to the cutting edge of what’s going on in the food world.

You know something is a movement, when it’s passionately embraced by age groups from teens to seniors, and favorite TV programming for all ages are the Food Network and Iron Chef America.

The proliferation of blogs and tweets by culinary pros and amateurs has exploded. In fact, we’re hosting a Food Bloggers Camp next month for our client, the Grand Velas Riviera Maya.

In New York, The talk of the town is Eataly and trend setter Barney’s is featuring a food theme for its Christmas windows, with  part of its catalog was shot in the Iron Chef  kitchen stadium.

Food is being used to expand the brand and revenue streams: Magazine publishing giant Conde Nast is establishing a new division, called Condé Nast Restaurants, setting up cafes and restaurants around the world, with the aim of strengthening the power and recognition of its brand.

Hotels are going well beyond having their own herb or vegetable gardens, vineyards, olive groves and, lately, beehives for making honey. Think dairy and beef cattle, and vintage apple orchards. And the newest hotel amenity is hotel farmers markets, an idea pioneered by Alain Ducasse at Paris’ Plaza Athenee.