The culinary industry, thriving with so many rich ideas, also comes with varying challenges. Chefs and food bloggers find themselves in highly competitive and ever-changing environments. One huge challenge: you can’t actually copyright a recipe, despite it being someone’s brainchild and, often, the product of many hours of labour-intensive work.
Want to know how you can help? Here’s how to be a good culinary citizen.
1. I am because you are – Success is far more rewarding when we work together and build each other up. Tag people, hashtag and give a shout-out to culinary beings – anything that gives their work the recognition it deserves.
2. Transparency is key – If it wasn’t your idea originally but you’ve since built on it, then be honest about it. If someone’s recipe inspired yours then make sure that’s clear. Honesty is the best policy, as is always giving credit where it’s due.
3. Never be afraid to speak up when it comes to acknowledgement or any lack thereof. If it is your work, you deserve to be proud of it and everybody should know it. Go on and valiantly claim that peacock moment. You’ve worked hard for it.
4. Own up to mistakes – We’re all human; we get it, mistakes are inevitable. Don’t let pride stop you from doing what’s right – honest mistakes are easily fixable and only embarrassing momentarily. All it takes is ownership of the mistake, a sincere apology and rightful acknowledgement to amend the wrong.
We all draw inspiration from each other, especially when it comes to such a competitive industry, but being a good culinary citizen is doable and rewarding in and of itself. Plus, it allows for a more collaborative and thus more fruitful environment!
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