Interview with Famed Chef Alan Coxon

Written by dabney on Thursday, January 5th, 2012 with 0 comments

Our next speaker is Alan Coxon, a person you may have already heard speak if you’re a fan of cooking shows.

Alan is an expert chef who has become famous as a food archaeologist, specializing in investigating historic food. Voted one of the top 10 chefs by BBC viewers, he has appeared in a number of cooking shows, where he became familiar with public speaking. Since then, he has been sharing his passion for historic food with the world.

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So, why do you call yourself a “food archaeologist” as opposed to, say, a food historian or a nostalgic food critic? Why not just an old fashioned chef?

It was a national UK newspaper ( The Telegraph) that once described me as a food archaeologist and the name has remained ever since.

I always view historians as being from the academical arena with limited hands on applications! So “food archaeologist” appeared to have a greater practical application, a culinary “Indiana Jones” of the food world if you must, whilst an old fashioned chef is one that can’t get past sherry trifle and prawn cocktail!

Why are you fascinated with food from the past?

It is our very reason of existence, the very reason our globe is carved up in such a geographical manner. It is the very reason we have life and medicines. For centuries, armies have marched and conquered due to a full stomach or staple diet, Pyramids built because of food and diet, lives saved because of herbs and spices, myths, legends and magic created around food produce, ancient and religious celebrations, wealth,  beauty products, feasts and famines have all transformed and moulded our very own existence and our everyday modern lives.

With so much knowledge of the past it is very sad that most of the globe fails to see the importance of food and ingredients and most of our current modern day problems of obesity, learning difficulties and ailments brought on by ingredients and nutrition are and have been ignored.

How did you get involved in food archaeology? Was it a love of cooking that led to curiosity about the past, or were you a historian who started to spend more and more time cooking?

I have been a chef for nearly 30 years, working in Monte Carlo, Paris and my own restaurant in the Isle Of Man to name but a few, from Michelin restaurant’s star, to opening the largest 4 star hotel in Europe as head chef, leading a culinary Brigade of around 68 international chefs. It was not until I did a three year spell working as a chef/lecturer at a catering college did I have the time to spend on my interest in food history. Having more time as a lecturer than I could have dreamt of  as a chef I decided to spend it doing research; the obsession was born!

What makes you unique from other public speakers?

There are very few (If any) that have the culinary experience that allows me to bring anecdotes of some of the famous people that I have had the privilege of cooking for over the years, blended with the knowledge of food and ingredients and their historical background, topped off with 12 years as a TV chef presenter, travelling to many parts of the world cooking with the likes of the Zulu King.

If you could make every person on earth understand 1 thing about food, what would it be?

Its importance!

Describe your cooking in 2 words and your public speaking ability in 2 words. The catch? Don’t tell us which words describe which of your skills. Let our readers guess which words describe your cooking, and which words describe your public speaking ability. 

I have mixed them up to help !

Sagacious

Fresh

Passionate

Informative

Has cooking taught you anything about public speaking?

Yes, you need a starter, a main course, and a happy ending!

There is a universality to food. After all, people from every time period and culture have to eat. How does your public speaking transcend cultural and temporal borders to bring people together around a common theme?

In my line and field of work this is relatively easy, for food is a common global bond, we celebrate together with food, even commiserate with food, we offer food as gifts, we share , and express our affections and emotions with food. Food has no boundaries nor limitations in terms of its ability to build and bond relations around the globe.

What’s the most fun you’ve had during a speaking event?

I enjoy taking people on a journey, to see the audiences’ eyes and face as they go on an emotional rollercoaster, and to hear the laughter at the given moment they were supposed to!

What advice do you have for aspiring speakers?

Know your subject areas, plan your material, change pace and tones regularly and get off with them wanting more!