Top ten movie chefs

Cinema-going can be hungry business. You just try to navigate your way past the concessions stand with its arousing aroma of salty popcorn, hotdogs turning on the grill and seemingly endless bags of chocolates without giving in and joining the queue – it’s impossible. The knowledge that you’re going to be sat rooted to the same spot for a couple of hours with nothing to snack on is too scary to contemplate and so we stock up in preparation, making our way to our seat ladened down with mini tubs of Häagen-Dazs and super-sized soft drinks. But how are we to break free and deny the rumblings of our belly when movies keep reminding us of the sensual pleasures of eating? It’s a vicious circle, one that is set to claim more victims with the release of the oh-so-yummy Julie and Julia.

Julie and Julia tells the story of two women, the first Julia Child (played by Meryl Streep) as she embarks on a career in food that would see her become the face of French cuisine in America in the 50s/60s and Julie Powell (Amy Adams), a directionless secretary who attempts to cook every one of the 524 recipes found in Child’s culinary bible, Mastering the Art of French Cooking within a year and blog about her results. Through food, the two women find purpose and a sense of identity, and while we heartily applaud all this touchy-feely business it’s the grub that has us positively salivating at the screen.

And so to toast the arrival of a new culinary classic at our banquet of cinematic snacks, we’re surveying our movie menu and taking a peek into the kitchens to order up ten more top film chefs.