Robert William Flay is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur, food writer, and reality television personality. Flay is the owner and executive chef of several restaurants and franchises, including Bobby's Burger Palace, Bobby's Burgers, and Amalfi. He has worked with Food Network since 1995, which won him four Daytime Emmy Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Flay in 2007
Entrance sign to Mesa Grill in Caesars Palace, Las Vegas
Mesa Grill at Las Vegas
A celebrity chef is a kitchen chef who has become a celebrity. Today, chefs often become celebrities by presenting cookery advice and demonstrations, usually through the media of television and radio, or in printed publications. While television is ultimately the primary way for a chef to become a celebrity, some have achieved this through success in the kitchen, cookbook publications, and achieving awards such as Michelin stars, while others are home cooks who won competitions. In South Korea, a celebrity chef is referred as a cheftainer.
Alexis Soyer's image was used to market a range of sauces produced by the Crosse & Blackwell company.
Doña Petrona giving a cooking class in Buenos Aires, 1938
Jamie Oliver's campaign on the quality of school dinners changed the government standards in the United Kingdom.