Episode 5 - Simon Ritchie - The Editor

Send us Fan MailSimon Ritchie began to be interested in journalism at the early age of 11, having lived for a short while in Egypt, for him and his family, the only English television around during that time was only the BBC News.Remembering the amazing and interesting stories, is what really got him engrossed in this field.A few years later, he dabbled with various subjects, before he got the spark to go and study at university to pursue a degree in business journalism in his home town of Glasgow, Scotland.A brief stint in London, being an intern for the award winning magazine FHM, Simon describes this as " a dream come true !"4 years down the line, he got the opportunity to get his first serious gig, being an editor of not just one, but two magazines, in the field of hair and beauty.So how did Simon become the editor of the coveted Caterer Middle East magazine?His family had previously lived in Dubai, but it was only after a second visit to see his older brother, that he made the final decision to move abroad.Fortunately, he got picked up by ITP, who happens to be the biggest publishing house in the Gulf region - https://www.itp.comThis is where the he began the journey into world of chefs, food and hospitality. Knowing that journalism is all about connections, he describes going to every new opening in order to get to know the movers and shakers of the industry in order to get the stories, 2 years down the line after having done an extensive amount of networking, it is now the owners, chef's and industry sources, who message him on the sly to get the latest on what's going on, impressive considering Simon has only been in the region for just over two years.In that time he recalls interviewing industry giants like the 3 Michelin starred Massimo Bottura, who at one point had the number one best restaurant in the world - https://osteriafrancescana.itOne chef that needs no introduction is the one and only Marco Pierre White - https://www.marcopierrewhite.coThat interview did not disappoint - as the notorious chef was 30 minutes, due to an opening the night before.The other memorable anecdote involves a heavy night out, and an interview with none other than international superchef  Jason Atherton - https://www.jasonatherton.co.ukSimon, delves into what it takes to be at the very top of his industry, as well as mentioning that is always a plus to have a couple of good friends in the media, as you never know when they could come in handy!Being the editor of the regions top Catering magazine, has it's perks, but not forgetting that he is a business journalist, it took a while for him to become a member of the famous foodie club, although he is not done yet, as there is still another 12,000 restaurants to review, that's just in Dubai!Should you have an interesting story, contact Simon directly, you can email him on - [email protected] To see what the fuss is all about go to - www.caterermiddleeast.comTo watch the full video got to - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQnVGBXvNcg&t=16sSupport the showFollow The Chef JKP Podcast on Instagram HERE