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At the Table: The Chef's Guide to Advocacy
When Katherine Miller was first asked to train chefs to be advocates, she thought the idea was ludicrous. But she quickly learned that chefs and other leaders in the restaurant industry are some of the most powerful forces for change in our troubled food system. Chefs are leading hunger relief efforts, supporting local farmers, fighting food waste, confronting racism and sexism in the industry, and much more.
In At the Table, Miller shares the essential techniques she developed for the James Beard Foundation's Chefs Boot Camp for Policy and Change. Listeners will learn how to focus their philanthropic efforts; pinpoint their audience and develop their argument; recruit allies and support action; and maybe most importantly, grab people's attention in a crowded media landscape.
Miller also shares the moving stories of chefs who used these skills to create lasting change. Chefs from around the country pushed Congress to provide financial relief to the restaurant industry at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the Table is filled with inspiration for anyone who has ever wanted to make a difference outside the four walls of their restaurant.
In At the Table, Miller shares the essential techniques she developed for the James Beard Foundation's Chefs Boot Camp for Policy and Change. Listeners will learn how to focus their philanthropic efforts; pinpoint their audience and develop their argument; recruit allies and support action; and maybe most importantly, grab people's attention in a crowded media landscape.
Miller also shares the moving stories of chefs who used these skills to create lasting change. Chefs from around the country pushed Congress to provide financial relief to the restaurant industry at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the Table is filled with inspiration for anyone who has ever wanted to make a difference outside the four walls of their restaurant.
- GenresNonfiction
242 pages, Paperback
Published September 28, 2023
2 people are currently reading
69 people want to read
About the author
Katherine Miller
67 books1 followerLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 3, 2024
Really enjoyed the combination of politics, cooking and how chefs can help with advocacy!! Highly recommend!!
July 28, 2025
A guide for chefs to act as advocates for progressive social change in the food system.
Why chefs are particularly qualified for this role is interesting. Certainly, they work with foods, they may be employers and they may be engaged in their communities. They may even have some celebrity. The book offers helpful suggestions on how these roles can be leveraged.
However, there are reasons to be skeptical. Chefs prepare foods that people are willing to buy and appeals to a segment in society and some particular contexts of eating. Their meals may benefit more from sizzle than substance so making something that seems healthy, perhaps high in superfoods, is easier to sell than making a dull bowl of oatmeal. This concern extends to other ways chefs might be motivated to advocate for better food.
Why chefs are particularly qualified for this role is interesting. Certainly, they work with foods, they may be employers and they may be engaged in their communities. They may even have some celebrity. The book offers helpful suggestions on how these roles can be leveraged.
However, there are reasons to be skeptical. Chefs prepare foods that people are willing to buy and appeals to a segment in society and some particular contexts of eating. Their meals may benefit more from sizzle than substance so making something that seems healthy, perhaps high in superfoods, is easier to sell than making a dull bowl of oatmeal. This concern extends to other ways chefs might be motivated to advocate for better food.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews