Graham Kerr

Chef, Cookbook Author, Television Personality

Graham Kerr is an internationally known chef, writer, television personality, lecturer, teacher, and an expert on nutrition and healthful eating. While his classic show, The Galloping Gourmet, featured lots of cream, eggs, and butter, a tragic accident and serious health issues that he and his wife Treena faced inspired Kerr to reinvent his style of cooking to minimize health risks and maximize flavor and texture.

Early Years

Brought up in London, Graham Kerr's parents were hoteliers, and his first professional culinary experience was as a manager trainee at the Roebuck Hotel in East Sussex at the age of 15. After serving 5 years as a catering advisor in the British Army, he returned to civilian life and became General Manager of the Royal Ascot Hotel.

Moving to New Zealand in the late 1950's, Kerr became chief catering advisor for the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and soon after made his television debut. When the Air Force moved him to Australia, he was the star of "Eggs with Flight Lieutenant Kerr". In the late 1960's, Kerr moved to Canada and with his wife Treena as producer, "The Galloping Gourmet" was born and became the most successful cooking show on television.

A very serious accident in the early 1970's, which was followed by several years of rehabilitation, forced the end of The Galloping Gourmet cooking show. This began Graham Kerr's journey to a healthier, low-fat style of cooking and the Kerrs to Creative Lifestyle International, teaching people how to creatively live better with less. When Treena suffered a heart attack in 1986, Kerr's dedication to healthy eating escalated and inspired a cooking style that helped minimize health risks while retaining and even maximizing the flavors and textures. It also ultimately led to "The Gathering Place", Kerr's book and television series honoring the place where friends and family nourish the relationships at the heart of homes, neighborhoods, and communities.

His early cooking shows are now being shown on the Television Food Network, while The Gathering Place airs on PBS stations.

Current Projects

Starting with his first book in 1969, The Graham Kerr Cookbook, Kerr has written more than 20 books throughout his career and personal culinary journey. These include:

• Graham Kerr's Swiftly Seasoned
• Graham Kerr's Kitchen
• Graham Kerr's Best:A Low-Fat, Heart-Healthy Cookbook
• Graham Kerr's Creative Choices Cookbook
• Graham Kerr's Gathering Place Comfort Food

As a guest lecturer at the Culinary Institute of America and at schools and events throughout the world, Graham Kerr continues to spread the word that sound nutrition and creative cooking are the best recipe for delicious, healthy eating. Kerr teaches us that caring about what we eat is one of the best ways of showing that we care about our friends, family, community, environment, and world.

For more information on Chef Graham Kerr:
www.grahamkerr.com