Graham kerr biography treena
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A Conversation with Graham Kerr, the Galloping Gourmet
Many of us remember Graham Kerr from his very popular and entertaining television series The Galloping Gourmet, which first aired in 1969 and was eventually enjoyed by a worldwide audience. Kerr grew up in a hotel kitchen, the son of hoteliers in southern England. His journey from there, to becoming a household name on television and a bestselling author, and his later conversion to Christianity, is a fascinating one. Kerr’s latest book, “Flash of Silver: The Leap That Changed My World”, is part memoir and part inspirational reflections on how to live a motståndskraftig life.
Kerr’s wife Treena, an actress, poet and television producer, died in September 2015, just days before their 60th anniversary. We recently caught up with Graham Kerr, now 83, at his home in Washington state.
First, here are a few audio highlights from our conversation, with music by Kai Engel: 3:39
Kolbe Times: Tell us a bit abo • Graham Kerr, January 2018. Tessa Kerr / wikimedia / 2018 / CC BY-SA 4.0 Graham Kerr was the celebrity chef of the 1970s. He became famous for his one show, the “Galloping Gourmet”, though he later disowned it. In all, 455 episodes were filmed. There was butter, cream, wine and laughter. During the run of “The Galloping Gourmet”, Weight Watchers named him “public enemy number one” and sent him a broken spoon. He was considered outrageous for the times. While making a chicken dish, he’d say “All right, ladies! Throw your breasts into the pan.” He joked, played camp and laughed with his viewers, and never minded making himself the object of laughs. His episodes went so fast that no one was ever really able to write the recipes down. Then, it all changed. He had a fordon accident, and found Jesus and low-fat. He became a member of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel and an honorary life member of the American Dietetic Association. He became a public speaker • Long before Jamie Oliver or Gordon Ramsay worked their culinary magic on television, there was Graham Kerr, a.k.a. The Galloping Gourmet. While Kerr (pronounced “Care”) was not by any means the first gourmet chef to appear on the small screen—that honour goes to James Beard in 1946—he, like Julia Child, did much to popularize fine cooking in North America. At a time when the acme of fine dining for many Americans and Canadians was a hamburger topped with bacon and cheese, and Italian cuisine was a can of Chef Boyardee spaghetti, Kerr introduced millions to the likes of Lamb Apollo, Red Snapper in Pernod, Crab Captain Cook, and Gateau Saint Honoré. His zany antics, lightning fast wit and double entendres delivered while chopping and sautéing delighted television audiences around the world. At the peak of his popularity in 1970, his television show, The Galloping Gourmet, was seen in thirty-eight countries, including the United States, Canada, Britain, Germany, Franc
Graham Kerr
30 December 1968