Graham Kerr
| Graham Kerr | |
|---|---|
| Born |
22 January 1934 London |
| Education | Brighton College |
| Spouse(s) | Treena Kerr |
| Children | 3 |
| Website | grahamkerr |
| Culinary career | |
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Television show(s)
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Graham Kerr (born 22 January 1934) is an English cooking personality who is best known for his 1969-1971 television cooking show The Galloping Gourmet.
Kerr was born in London, and his parents were established hoteliers. As a result, much of his childhood was spent among some of the most outstanding chefs of Europe. He was educated at the independent school Brighton College.
Kerr became trainee manager at the Roebuck Hotel in East Sussex, England, when he was just fifteen years old. After five years in the British Army as catering adviser, he became General Manager of England's Royal Ascot Hotel.
Kerr moved to New Zealand in 1958, becoming chief chef catering adviser for the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
He moved into television with the emergence of the new medium in New Zealand, after being recruited by NZBC producer Shirley Maddock. In 1959 he began hosting the television show Entertaining With Kerr, in which he appeared dressed in military uniform. His recipes were also delivered on radio and in magazines, and a related book, Entertaining with Kerr, sold out its first edition in eight days.
Shortly after the NZTV series was launched, promoter Anthony Hollows introduced Kerr to his business partner, rising New Zealand entertainment promoter and artist manager Harry M. Miller. Miller was at first skeptical of taking Kerr on, having just lost heavily on a disastrous folk music concert promotion, but Hollows was insistent, and after seeing Kerr in action, Miller immediately saw his potential. When he met with Kerr, Miller learned that Kerr had already tried unsuccessfully to break into the much more lucrative Australian television market, but Miller (who was already well-established across the Tasman Sea as a concert promoter) was confident that he could launch Kerr in Australia. Kerr signed on as Miller's first management client, and the relationship proved enormously important and financially rewarding to both men. Miller was instrumental in launching Kerr in Australia, and then internationally, and Kerr's breakthrough in turn laid the foundation for Miller's own success as a leading player in the Australian and New Zealand entertainment industry over the next 20 years.
In 1964 Kerr moved to Sydney, and through his Australian contacts Miller was soon able to sign Kerr to present a regular cooking show on Channel 10, also called Entertaining With Kerr, as part of Australia's recently established third commercial television outlet, the TEN Network. Although Kerr's initial fee was modest, Miller wisely balanced that against the value of the exposure, sure that Kerr would make such an impact that they could call the tune for any further series. The show quickly became a huge national success, leading to daily radio spots, newspaper and magazine columns, personal appearances and lucrative product endorsements. Miller also cited winemaker and critic Len Evans as being especially helpful to Kerr in these early days. Miller soon scored another coup when he signed the multinational food company Nestlé as Kerr's first major sponsor.
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