The landscape for chef-based licensed products is among the most crowded of all celebrity-licensing segments. A wealth of chefs who have gained fame through restaurants, cookbooks, instructional TV cooking shows, and competitive cooking reality series have extended their brands, and others are entering the fray.
This segment can be challenging. New licensors are trying to gain a foothold in a market that is already dominated by numerous successful brands, from Rachel Ray and Buddy Valastro (the Cake Boss) to Wolfgang Puck and Ingrid Hoffman, to name just a tiny sample. Not only that, but the number of categories in which they can logically play is relatively small, focused primarily on food, meal kits, cookbooks, and kitchen- and table-related items, which magnifies the level of competitiveness. There have been a number of chefs over the years who have tried and failed to make inroads.
Even in the face of these difficulties, however, chefs continue to expand their licensing activities, or break into the licensing arena for the first time. A few recent examples:
- Tom Kerridge signed RayGray Snacks for branded pork crunch (a type of pork rinds) and The Great British Exchange for British-made cooking tools including ceramics, pans, knives, and wood and textile items. The chef is known for his Hands and Flowers gastropub in Marlow, England, and for appearances on BBC shows including Great British Menu, Food and Drink, and Bake Off: Crème de la Crème, among others. Talisman Licensing is his agent.
- Maeve Rochford paired with Carlsbad Gourmet for a collection of sauces, jams and jellies, and syrups. She is the owner of Sugar and Scribe bakery in La Jolla, California, and was the winner of The Food Network Holiday Baking Championship in 2015. She signed Coastal Limited as her licensing rep early last year.
- Rosanna Pansino and Wilton are launching a new bakeware line under the Ro brand later this summer, including spatulas, cookie cutters, and candy molds. Pansino is the host of Nerdy Nummies, YouTube’s most-watched cooking show. She has previously worked with Wilton through a content-driven partnership.
- Jason Santos signed Vita Food Products for a line of sauces, dressings, and condiments, several of them mirroring items sold in his two Boston restaurants. Santos, represented by C3 Entertainment, is noted for his appearances on The Talk and Hell’s Kitchen.
- Cat Cora partnered with Aramark for a food-service concept called OLILO by Cat Cora that will target Aramark’s business clients. The first implementation opened in the Goldman Sachs café in New York. Cora is famous for her Mediterranean cuisine and for being the only female contestant to date on Iron Chef. She is represented by United Talent Agency.
- Emeril Lagasse licensed Bradshaw for products ranging from bakeware, kitchen tools, and barbecuing accessories to small electrics. Lagasse, recognized for his Cajun and Creole cooking and his Food Network shows including Emeril Live, has been involved in licensing for some time; his brand is being relaunched under new ownership with Sequential Brands.
Meanwhile, other chefs are retaining licensing agencies, signaling more activity to come. Robert Irvine, chef and host of The Robert Irvine Show on the CW network, signed with The Brand Liaison last fall, as one example. Earlier last year, agency CAA formed a culinary division to oversee its many chef clients. The company represents, among others, Gordon Ramsay, Duff Goldman (the Ace of Cakes), and Curtis Stone, all of whom maintain established licensing programs.
Comments are closed.