Chef Angela Hartnett’s been in the news a fair bit recently. Whenever she has a piece of news, she gets major coverage in the national media. And quite right too. She’s a wonderful chef, a successful businesswoman and an excellent communicator.
This week – reading a feature about her in The Times – I was struck yet again by the importance of having a simple honest story to tell. Angela always mentions her “Italian grandmother” who inspired her love of food. And there’s always the link back to Gordon Ramsay – less important as she gains in profile in her own right, but still there as a reminder that she has worked for years at the highest level before going it alone.
These two elements – the authentic heritage with such positive resonance for a British reader (i.e. Italian food), and the link to an international icon (whatever you may think of him) – make Angela Hartnett stand out. It’s a true story that’s easy to remember, and easy to re-tell.
And that’s what people, businesses and places all need. So … what’s yours?