"Luxury Food"

by David Alvarez - CAA Fine Dining Chef instructor

May 2020

Why luxury food?

Le Ritz Paris, César Ritz brunch. [Photo D. Alvarez, April 2007]

Today’s generations, as the ones before us, have always been attracted to the concept of luxury. This concept has been defined in several ways throughout the years; “Everything that isn’t necessary” or “Any expense that goes beyond basic needs”. Luxury is difficult to define because besides vital needs as eating, breathing or sleeping, everybody has a different perception of their own needs. One person might categorize a need as essential while other person calls it a luxury. The clue is to identify the difference between a need and a desire and to do it in an objective way. With the current world health crisis, this debate is even more pertinent.

Le Meurice, 25000 € bottle of Romanée Conti. [Photo D. Alvarez, May 2014]

Even though humans have different kinds of needs; physiological, cultural and social to name a few, having enough food of the right quality is a physiological need of the human race. Access to food remains a big concern in our world. Nevertheless, to consider as a luxury any type of food which basic function is not to nourish; is wrong. There are several anthropological studies that show that food was never reduced only to a physiological human need. Humans migrated, temporarily or lastingly, searching for more abundant, varied and tastier food. The food selection process is primary, it’s actually a necessity.  Humans did not eat continually what was available at their reach. They migrated and searched to expand their diet. Food took care of our nutritional needs through diversification. But as humanity evolved we also grew a sense of the world around us by using symbols. The concept of luxury started when humans began to represent abstract ideas with symbols.

The luxury object, is a desire object that provides us with a unique sensation because of its uniqueness, its superiority over standard and its symbolic meaning.

In Gastronomy, this symbol is represented by beautifully crafted food and food products, consumed for sensory and emotional pleasure, not only as a physiological need. What makes these sensations unique and exclusive is the way in which they are experienced. The theatrical context provides a social and cultural dimension. A luxurious and exclusive restaurant will generate an amplification of senses.The prices are usually significantly higher. The value assigned to such an experience comes with a social status that people who buy into aspire. The economical factor in luxury food is important in the context of cultural and social distinction.

Le Ritz Paris, L’Espadon restaurant, ** Michelin stars. [Photo D. Alvarez, April 2007]

 The luxury food market

 Luxury food and food products are not always very expensive to produce even though they are expensive to consume and buy. The luxury food producers or distinguished Chefs create or conceive the products as unique and incomparable works of art. These Chefs in high end gastronomic restaurants are producing rare and exclusive dishes to be sold at high price ranges. The research that goes into the production of these dishes is for the consumer to acquire an amount of gastronomic culture, knowledge and refined taste.

 As the growing number of wealthy people increases around the world in different societies, the consumerism of luxury food is being democratised, as an element of social distinction rather than for full culinary pleasure. This has contributed to the huge development of the luxury food industry.

Luxury food is complex because to better sell it and consume it we must understand that it cannot be limited to its extraordinary quality or high price, it must be seen through the lens of our psychological perception. In other words, many people can pay the price of luxury food but not everyone can fully appreciate it and understand it. Everybody can share their culinary experience on Instagram but not everybody uses it to enrich their gastronomic culture or to value a culinary heritage.

Being able to consume luxury food makes us unique and nowadays we feel the need to share it on social media. Chefs and luxury food producers have understood this phenomenon and nowadays the communication efforts of this actors of the industry are more important than the culinary nature of their activities. The aesthetics, physical aspect, plating, packaging and design of the luxury food product is now more important than its taste, quality, origin, seasonality and sometimes freshness.

For the luxury food industry nowadays the looks of the product justify high prices better that its organoleptic qualities.

La maison de la truffe, Périgord black truffle (Tuber mélanosporum) 1500€ per kg.[Photo D. Alvarez, December 2012]

Luxury food today

 Nowadays luxury food customers are younger and more demanding because of their instant access to information. Luxury food establishments cannot follow the classic protocols that used to work in the old days anymore. They have evolved and today they market to younger audiences. Enigmatic products as champagne or caviar have already lost their sumptuous aristocratic image and have turned into young sophisticated products, still expensive but easier to obtain. The barrier of tradition was replaced by the impulse of instant desire.

Moët & Chandon cellars, Epernay, France. [Photo D. Alvarez, February 2011]

Star chefs are also younger than before. They no longer represent the most experienced cook in the brigade or the most talented. The Chef’s position now belongs to the most creative, rebel, or innovative artist. It belongs to those who break the rules and know how to show it. They are experts in the use of social media and are creating an army of followers eager to eat their food at their restaurants. Price is no longer a barrier. The way of consuming fine dining meals has also changed. Nowadays customers are too busy to spend long hours on a meal sitting around the table. They want to live the fine dining experience and leave right after eating to do other things. The pleasure of dining is still there but it is now more ephemeral. The fine dining experience is no longer and end by itself but an invitation to and endless trip of curiosity. Culinary guides and culinary academies as the World’s 50 Best Restaurants have created roadmaps for luxury food lovers who want to dine at the top 10 and meet the stars to then share their experience.

 And now what?

 Today’s health crisis has turned the world of luxury food upside down. This shows very clearly that luxury is directly linked to culture and society and in these times when social and cultural activities just can’t take place, the desire; our desire of uniqueness, rareness and superiority fades slowly. Those who can or could access that world of hedonistic pleasure are dreaming of it right now; the elegant setting of a restaurant, the sound of laughs and conversations, the mouth watering aromas, the sizzling sound of vegetables being prepared in front of our eyes or the festive popping of a bottle of champagne now live in our memory.

It is exactly in these times that we realize that in order to define luxury and luxury food appropriately, we need to take into consideration the context in which we are living. What used to be an object of luxury before does not mean that it will continue to be in the future. This crisis will change the game of luxury food and most of all it will create awareness. Awareness that every need, every desire our customers have is just momentary.

Chefs as well as other luxury food professionals must reinvent themselves constantly, be sensitive to the times they’re living and anticipate what the luxury food of the future will be to continue providing with the pleasure that we all miss right now.

 To cite the French, food Geographer J. R. Pitt:

“Gastronomy is not a pointless luxury, but an intelligent, beautiful and pleasant way to eat. Every meal can be a gastronomic meal, regardless of its price”.

[Source: MARCILHAC V., Le luxe alimentaire une singularité française, Rennes, Pur, 2012.]