As the old saying goes; if you don’t see a few baggy-eyed chefs squatting in the gutter outside your dinner joint with a ciggie, the food probably isn’t too hot.
A new photobook by German documentary photographer Jan Enkelmann captures these culinary savants in their moments of smokey solitude.
Jan Enkelmann’s new photobook Smoking Chefs captures a moment we all know fondly; a hard-working chef’s few minutes of peace with a cigarette.
Describing the book on his website, Enkelmann shared:
“In the noisy bustle of London’s West End I have been looking for sanctuaries of calm and contemplation. I found them in the back alleys and doorways of Chinatown.”
The photos are gritty and raw yet quietly tranquil; chefs are amongst the hardest living workers all over the world and by that measure, their quiet moments are amongst the most well deserved.
Check out a few selections from Enkelmann’s book below.
Find out more about Smoking Chefs here.
