These days, I’d say social media takes up like 20 to 25 per cent of my time at work. It might seem like a lot, but our industry has totally modernised in the past 10 years, leaving old-school chefs in the dust.
It’s a super valuable tool for marketing and keeping up with food trends. Back in the day, you had to rely on magazines or ads, but now there’s TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook to help spread the word about your business.
We’ve got marketing teams in our group who come up with content ideas, but since my name is all over the brand, it’s crucial for me to show people who I am.
Our business is a family affair, so I love involving my son, Francisco, and nieces and nephews whenever I can. Taking folks on foraging trips is also a blast so they can see the top-notch ingredients we use in our kitchens.
Aside from that, I personally dig using social media and find it pretty educational.
I follow tons of chefs and pick up new techniques online instead of cracking open cookbooks. It’s a great way to keep growing as a chef.
Sometimes, I’ll even spot a trend that we can try out in our business. Like the whole food truck craze. People are all about watching live streams of chefs at work now, thanks to spots like SpudBros.
That’s how we came up with the Lobster Shack at our Dune restaurant in St Andrews last June. We noticed folks were into these cool pop-up spots or wanted a more casual dining experience, so we started serving up lobster rolls to go.
It was a way for them to enjoy our awesome seafood in a more affordable and laid-back setting.
But predicting the next big trend? That’s always a tough one. They seem to come out of left field.
Take tinned fish, for example. It’s blown up lately because people are rating different types and comparing packaging on social media.
As a chef, I’m stoked to see this trend take off because those little tins are a fantastic ingredient to work with.
Everyone knows about tinned tuna, or maybe they’ve had a bad experience with mackerel, but there’s a whole world of options out there.
My personal fave? Tinned mussels in smoked paprika. It’s seriously to die for. And with summer around the corner, a tin of sardines is perfect for tossing in your picnic basket.
Here’s hoping the next big thing is fresh lobster rolls for the summer!
You can keep up with me on Instagram at @chefdeanbanks.
