How four chefs leverage the promotional nature of Instagram

Lots of consumers, especially the food-obsessed, have grown fond of chronicling their lives and meals with Instagram photos. Now chefs are hopping on the bandwagon, too. We followed a few who are deploying this platform to forge relationships and build up a fan base.

Departure

At Departure in Portland, OR, chef Gregory Gourdet praises Instagram for the ease with which he can get out a photo to all of his followers. “Instagram is slower than Twitter, but faster than Facebook — the perfect pace for drooling,” he observes. The chef’s Instagram feed showcases shocking ingredients, like freshly opened uni, splayed on a spoon with its shell propped in the background. Another shot shows the chef’s expert plating skills in a vivid photo of his salmon with butter clams and candied tomatoes.

Check him out

The Parish

Pastry chef Brooke Mosley used Instagram and Twitter as her “visual resume” while working at her former post, The Parish in Los Angeles.  Posting photos of brioche braided around goat confit and pastries placed next to perfectly frothed lattes, Mosley courted those who had never visited the restaurant. Mosley uses Instagram as a way to learn what other chefs are up to, checking what chefs down the street or across the country are working on in their kitchens.

Check her out