What is in an award really worth?

I keep coming across so many independent pubs and restaurants that are now award winning.  You see in the paper a full-page spread that this award-winning pub has just launched a new menu or past some kind of landmark.  Then you look in the corner of the paper and see at the end of the glowing report that it is in fact an advertising piece paid for by the establishment in question.

Is there any thing wrong in this, no not really; as it does say that it is an advertisement and not a actual report.  No one has been deceived, or have they.  I know for a fact that a hotel that I worked at shameless promoted itself as a award winning. It was a award winning, it had won a industry ward and the owners had gone and collected it in the time honoured way . Nominated for the award gone to the dinner had there name announced in the list of other nominees.  To fine they have won , go on stage collect the award , photo with the great and the good of the industry and  then bring back the award , along with the photos of the occasion. Now if you did not ask or take the time to read what the award was for you would presume, by the way it was presented, it was for the food, service or rooms.  It was in fact for the best independent marketing campaign, that year.  And to top it all it was a category that they had entered them selves in not been nominated other wise the award would have passed them by.  Is this wrong , after all they did win and was selected from a whole crowd of others. I suppose if you are good at marketing you play on the best side of every thing and a ward is a award, its not your fault that people do not look at the fine print.

Most of the time, I wonder what awards the place in question has won, I have known in any number of occasions places change hands, staff move on but the award stays with the establishment.  A cooperative plate or certificate stays on the wall like a badge of honour. At this point in time a person or persons thought that this place should win this award.  But is it still relevant today. A Solder who fought bravely in a past war and won a medal, might not be as good in the next war.  So why would you think that an award from the past would be an indication of the present.

Also what kind of a ward or rating is it that you have, some guide that offer ratings of two or three stars you have to pay to be in the group.  If you have to pay a yearly subscription to be a member of a group who will then give you a rating is that really worth as much as an independent rating . 

And more importantly than that what are they rating, is there a set of criteria that a place must have to prove that it has such a all fresh local ingredients, and if they say it is local how local.  You can get green beans from a local green grocer but where does he get his stock from, a local wholesaler, how gets his from London, straight from Kenya.  It was some thing like this that is behind some moves to prove that you can say on your menu, locally produced lamb, when in fact the butcher got it from New Zealand.

To be honest and that is what we have to be, most of my professional cooking career I have not produced real top end award winning food. The closest it came to actually being responsible for any thing like that was when I was working in a small restaurant, in a brigade of two.  While I was, there the restaurant that was a two knife and fork in the Mitchell guide to three knives and forks.  I would like to say that this was down to both of us but if I am honest, most of the direction came from Steve the head chef, and I could copy what he did quite well. I can say that I did bring bread making with me but very little else to the menu.  What I did bring was an eye on the financial side and what we used and what we wasted. Some times this skill is the most important one that you can have, as you will ever find out if you own your own restaurant at any time. I have worked in some award winning restaurants and hotel as a chef and an s a waiter through an agency, but id I am totally honest never was the one who could push to get the real top accolades.

To win a Michelin star is a very special thing but the work that you will have to do to get it will be more than most people are ever prepared to do. It takes a dedication from both front and back of house to get one that most of us give up on it, to much hard work, hart ache and no guarantee at the end of it all.

So what are wrong with all the other host of awards, guides and accolades that you can sign up to.  Nothing but what would be nice is some honesty in what you have to do to become eligible to get one, what you have to do to become a paid member or enrol in. If this was more transparent then it would become clear that you have done some thing more than just been really good at what you do.

So my advice is beware the award wining, the chef that has worked in a number of top restaurants, and the overtly self promoting , they might not be all that they make them selves out to be.