MSc in Gastronomy
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://eresearch.qmu.ac.uk/handle/20.500.12289/11111
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Item Piedmont’s traditional food products: an investigation of the communication between producers and tourists(2019)This study examined food tourism and the communication of producers to tourists. The main aim and objectives were to investigate what the producers want to communicate, how they engage with tourists, what the motivations behind the communication are, and also the impacts and the consequences of their activity. A qualitative methodology was used, as it was considered appropriate for social research involving human experience, in that it provides descriptions of the respondents’ world. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were chosen in order to capture the rich diversity of data of the subject researched. The interviewees were ten producers of cheese and hazelnuts, in the Italian context of the region of Piedmont, and the responses were analysed to investigate their communication to tourists. Five main themes and five subthemes emerged from the interviews, and the key findings were in line with the existing literature. It appeared that communication revolves around authenticity of the activity of the farm, quality of the product, and territory and its traditions. Findings suggested that communication is carried out through the creation of experiences: visitors are shown around the business and are explained the various processes during a visit. Responses highlighted that producers communicate for different reasons and undertake tourism activities as they have economic advantages or visibility, as they want to educate customers, because they think it is important for place development, or to create a connection with people. The analysis built on previous studies about food tourism that are focused on tourists’ opinions, but it analysed the point of view of producers (Boniface 2003, Autio et al. 2013, Privitera et al. 2018).Item #cleaneating: an exploration of the clean eating trend as presented on Instagram(2019)Background: Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking platform which features popular content relating to food and nutrition. One such trend is clean eating, which prioritizes the consumption of whole foods while avoiding processed foods. Objectives: This exploratory study of #cleaneating Instagram posts sought to characterize foods that are commonly labeled as “clean”, explore user feelings and perceptions of “clean eating”, and identify social trends and ideas associated with “clean eating”. Methods: Qualitative inductive analysis was conducted using public content posted to Instagram. Images, associated text captions, and other related hashtags from 150 #cleaneating posts were included in the data set. Analysis was conducted until a point of data saturation was reached, at which point no new themes emerged from the data. Results: Images were categorized into three main types: those featuring food (61%), people (27%), and meme/other (12%). It was discovered that the #cleaneating hashtag was associated with other diet/lifestyle trends such as #vegan and #keto. A common theme emerged from the data of clean eating being associated with weight loss and exercise. Another identified theme was promoting the consumption of fruits and vegetables. Conclusions/Importance: This study illustrates that the clean eating trend is an extremely popular trend and provides base information for subsequent research. Guidelines and recommendations of clean eating are vague and lack scientific evidence. This study provides insight into current food and health trends, which lends itself for use in clinical or medical settings as it is crucial that registered dietitians and other health professionals are aware of the health information being shared on the internet.Item How supporting the local, independent food retailers of Stockbridge, Edinburgh contributes to an individual’s identity and that of the community(2019)The UK’s rapidly changing grocery retail sector and the demise of the UK high street has led to a sharp decline in the number of local independent retailers. This study aimed to determine whether supporting the local independent food retailers in the Stockbridge area of Edinburgh contributed towards an individual’s identity and that of the community’s. A mixed methods approach was adopted where an online questionnaire completed by shoppers led to exploratory interviews of local food shop workers. Shopping in the local independent food shops of Stockbridge enabled individuals to express their identity through being seen to support local retailers, thus reflecting their moral values and building a sense of community. The main motivations behind using the local independent food shops were quality and service whilst they key contribution the local independent food shops made to the community emerged as their role as a hub where social interaction and relationship building took place. Furthermore their uniqueness and longstanding reputations contributed towards the area’s identity which was found to be attractive not only to Stockbridge residents but also to outsiders. These traits should be recognised and utilised by independent retailers not only as a way to survive but as a way to gain a competitive advantage against the nationwide supermarkets whether they be in the form of local outlets or of larger out-of town stores. Further research into other independent local retailers and other food-based outlets in inner city communities would strengthen this paper’s findings.Item ‘If You Don’t Like It I’ll Eat my Hat’: Understanding Vegetarianism In Vegetarian Cafes(2019)In recent years, numerous dedicated vegetarian cafes have opened alongside a reported increasing uptake in the diet. With this increased uptake, however, has come a greater flexibility with which the term ‘vegetarian’ is applied. This research asks how vegetarian cafes navigate such complexities of the diet, and how they communicate their version of vegetarianism to both meat-eating and vegetarian customers. Utilising evidence obtained through face-to-face, semi-structured interviews with cafe owners, managers and head-chefs, and building upon theories of food choice, identity and communication, the study explores the realities of running a vegetarian business within this diverse market. It uncovers multiple tensions between the needs of vegetarian and meat-eating customers, as well as between the practicalities of running a business and upholding vegetarian principles. Furthermore, it finds that the cafe itself is an important site of identity and community building, and the cafe’s ability to inspire changing eating habits is discussed accordingly. The research and debates presented in this dissertation aim to enhance understandings of contemporary vegetarianism, its links with identity, and its position as an alternative diet.Item Is Google Our New Granny? An investigation into the growing practices of Edinburgh’s community gardeners(2018)As the world around us has increased in technological complexity, the internet has revolutionised the way in which we access information and connect to each other, while an increased reliance on industrialised agriculture and industrial food processing to shape our foodways has obscured the understanding and experience of where food comes from. In the midst of these issues, statistics show a growing interest in community gardening in Scotland. This research set out to explore what sources are used by community gardeners in Edinburgh to acquire knowledge about gardening practices within urban spaces, investigate the role the Internet plays in that, and to gain an insight into the perceived value and significance that these sources have in shaping these practices and the gardener’s relationship to their environments. The background of this research was derived from an interdisciplinary review of the literature, through which a lack of published research into the topic was identified that considers and investigates the importance of difference sources utilised by community gardeners and whether or not knowledge accessed on a geographically decontextualized digital platform can sufficiently enable an environmentally responsive focus that is required to generate locally situated knowledge about food cultivation. A qualitative methodology was adopted to guide the study, with seven in depth semi structured interviews with community gardeners in two case study sites in East Edinburgh, coupled with ethnographic participant observation to collect data that was then thematically coded and analysed. The four emergent themes surfaced during analysis: time and the desire for wizardry; anxieties and the digital cacophony; experience and place, and the cultural value of place. Overall, the gardeners placed greater value on interpersonal knowledge transmission of food cultivation and highlighted participatory social learning as more significant in shaping growing practises. The gardens were considered to be both the reclamation of the physical Commons within an urban setting and the establishing of Knowledge Commons. While the internet proved to be a valuable resource for the diversification of the collective skill set of the gardens, navigating the overwhelming volume of information proved problematic for the less experienced; concerns were voiced as to the integrity and salience of the knowledge sources, with a particular focus on the ambiguity of the geographical context. Largely these spaces and the knowledge amassed within them have the potential to re-establish the connections between people, both on an individual level and to food and place, mitigating the larger environmental and cultural impacts of the globalized food system.Item Is food at the heart of teaching? An insight into the Initial Teacher’s Education (ITE) in Scotland(2018)Background and aims of the study: There is a growing concern that children in Scotland are becoming more detached from food and their diets are becoming poor, with one third of them already overweight or obese (NHS Scotland 2017), unable to master basic cooking skills or identify the provenance of their foods. Scotland Food and Drink economy is thriving and yet such issues cannot be ignored. As children spend almost two decades in schools (Story et al. 2006, Wechsler et al. 2001), it is an ideal location to promote better eating habits and basic cooking skills as well as engage them in the wider conversation about the current food system. Early intervention has been proved to be the most effective approach (Janacsek et al. 2012, cited in Lavelle et al. 2016, p.2) and teachers are expected to deliver ‘Food and Health’ as part of the Curriculum for Excellence. This study will look at the Initial Teacher Education (ITE) in Scotland and explore what sort of training is offered to student teachers to enable them to teach this subject. Methods: Qualitative research, using purposive sampling, ten (10) interviews (semistructured, open-ended questions) with lecturers from seven (7) ITE providers for primary schools in Scotland (this equates to 77% of all ITE providers in Scotland). Nine (9) of the interviews were phone interviews and one interview was face-to-face. All of them were audio recorded. The interviews explored respondents views on the role of food education in achieving a Good Food Nation, their definition on food education, what they currently offer to student teachers in terms of preparing them for the task of delivering ‘Food and Health’ – part of Health & Wellbeing Curriculum for Excellence and what barriers they face and what kind of support or resources would help them improve their current offering. The interviews were anonymised, and answers were transcribed and codified for better analysis. Findings: There was overall agreement that food education is crucial to achieving a Good Food Nation in Scotland. It requires collaboration with all key stakeholders to have a clear, cohesive way forward. There was not a unified definition for Food education among interviewees. Initial Teacher Education does cover Health & Wellbeing, including Food and Health, lesson planning, food poverty and healthy eating as part of the degree, however only some of them have the staff and facilities to offer practical cooking and food growing sessions. Lack of time, facilities and expertise were among the barriers mentioned by lecturers. Conclusion: This exploratory research highlights the pressures the ITE providers are under to deliver rich content under tight timelines and without adequate resources. High numbers of students per class, lack of available time for food and health, lack of facilities and expertise are also concerning. More support from the government, re-evaluation of the ITE programmes, creative use of interdisciplinary methods to include food and health in other subjects, adapting university classrooms with portable cooking equipment, more use of online resources could improve current offering.Item To what degree does ‘farm labelling’ influence consumers’ perception of food quality?(2018)There are few notions more closely related to our food than that of the ‘farm’. We are constantly reminded of the ‘rural idyllic’ through the media, adverts and food packaging, but are we disconnected from the real meaning and understanding of the term ‘farm’, and if so, how does it influence us as consumers of farm foods and products? ‘Farm’ labelling is an area of increasing interest and focus for industry contention and media scrutiny through the rise of the use of ‘fake farm’ branding by supermarkets and food manufacturers. However, it has had little attention in academic literature beyond acknowledgement of its media discourse. This research set out to ascertain whether the inclusion of particular ‘farm’-related descriptive terminology on food labelling influences consumers’ perceptions of a food’s quality. A critical review of existing literature and media was used to map out the current background and context. Empirical research was then implemented, adopting a mixed methodology approach using online questionnaires and tasting sessions. Both qualitative and quantitative analysis techniques were carried to identify findings in the rich data set collected. The research did not observe any significant degree of influence towards quality perception caused by farm labelling, or indeed any of the labelling terms used in the research. However, what was demonstrated is the significant and notable level of misunderstanding and ignorance towards labelling terminology, despite participants perceiving their understanding to be much greater. The paper identifies a significant risk to both the food industry and consumers in these misconceptions towards food labelling and makes recommendations for how they might be addressed.Item Fishing for the Truth In what manner, and to what extent, is the authenticity of the people, place and food of Newhaven’s historic fish market being represented or commodified in The Fishmarket restaurant?(2018)Newhaven is a district to the north of Edinburgh city centre, situated on the Firth of Forth between Leith and Granton. A fishing village for over five-hundred years, the area acquired a fish market building in 1896. Changes within the fishing industry between then and now have led to changes in the use of the building, and the current space contains a small working fish market, a fishmonger and two fish restaurants. One of these restaurants is The Fishmarket, which draws on the heritage of the village in its design and marketing, and is used in this research as a case study to critically test existing theory around authenticity. Mixed qualitative methods are used to carry out in-depth research into the business’s representation of the people, place and food of Newhaven. The context of historic Newhaven is explored through examination of archival photographs, while The Fishmarket’s representation of heritage is investigated through analysis of the space, website, press release and Instagram page, which is supplemented by interviews with key members of the restaurant team. As a recently opened business, it is a new subject for research, to which theory around communications, commodification and authenticity is applied. Although it is suggested that the business is employing strategies to further the authenticity of the space, the research reveals that commodification is not a new concept in Newhaven. Nonetheless, this project allows for critical analysis of the subjective nature of authenticity through detailed case study research of a single building within a historic fishing village.Item An exploratory study of Edinburgh chefs’ interpretations and operationalisations of sustainability in relation to fish(2018)Despite the fact that the concept of sustainability is a concern both on an international and individual level, marine ecosystems are under great pressure from the Global fishing industry. This study explores the link between interpretation and operationalisation of the concept in relation to fish, through semi-structured interviews with 9 sustainability-committed Edinburgh based restaurant chefs. In doing so, it illustrates the context the chefs are situated within; a reality of conflicting information, worldviews, value systems, and interests. Through the example of ‘seasonal fish’ it shows how the difficulties of evaluating the environmental impact of fish drive the chefs to rely on the supply chain. In doing so, they outsource their responsibilities, and embrace an interpretation of sustainability which is situated within a ‘mechanical’ worldview and anthropocentric value system. This worldview/value system is problematic from a sustainability perspective. In this study, this approach is contrasted with a ‘complexity’ worldview, and an ecocentric value system. It argues that such approach is more adept for achieving a sustainable fishing industry. In doing so, it highlights the polysemic and political nature of the concept. The study concludes with calling for more criticality towards the supply chain. It also calls for a better and clearer definition of both sustainability and ‘sustainable fish’; a definition which does not allow socioeconomic interest to be placed above environmental protection. Lastly, it argues that the term ‘seasonal’ in the context of fish is alluring and counterproductive for sustainability, and that another term should be introduced and adopted.
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