Graham Kerr (born 22 January 1934) is an English cooking personality who is best known for his television cooking show The Galloping Gourmet, which aired from 30 December 1968 to 14 September 1972.
Early life
Kerr was born in Brondesbury, London. His Scottish parents were established hoteliers. As a result, much of his childhood was spent among European chefs. On the pronunciation of his family name, Kerr wrote in The Graham Kerr Cookbook that "my name is pronounced ‘care’ — not ‘cur’ or ‘car’, as in the case of Bill Kerr and Deborah Kerr,” respectively.
As a youth, he attended Michael Hall School, a Waldorf school at Kidbrooke Park in Forest Row, East Sussex. Although he dropped out of school at age 14 and began training in kitchens, he returned years later and attended the independent school Brighton Technical College and another school in Devon.
Career
Early career
Kerr became trainee manager at the Roebuck Hotel in Forest Row, East Sussex, England, when he was 15 years old. After five years in the British Army as catering adviser, he became general manager of the Royal Ascot Hotel.
New Zealand and Entertaining with Kerr
Kerr moved to New Zealand in 1958, becoming chief catering adviser for the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
He moved into television in New Zealand when being recruited by TVNZ 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 the first edition of a related book, Entertaining with Kerr, was sold out in eight days. During these early years Kerr won a Penguin Award as "Personality of the Year."
Australia
Shortly after the TVNZ 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 sceptical of taking Kerr on, having just lost heavily on a disastrous promotion of a folk music concert, but Hollows was insistent, and after seeing Kerr in action, Miller immediately saw his potential. Miller (who was 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 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 the TEN Network, Australia's recently established third commercial television outlet. Although Kerr's initial fee was modest, Miller wisely balanced that against the value of the exposure, certain that Kerr would make an impact. 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.
At some point, Kerr's television ratings took a dive, and the series was cancelled. However, his radio show continued. On the recommendation of the wife of a board member, who listened to Kerr's radio show, the Australian Dairy Board signed Kerr to what Miller described as an endorsement contract "of staggering proportions," and Kerr was soon back on national television.
In his autobiography, My Story, Miller recounted that "the sweetest contract I offered Graham was one he refused to sign." In the mid-1960s Union Carbide, the manufacturers of Glad Wrap, approached Miller with a lucrative offer for Kerr to become its national endorser. All Kerr had to do was make a few commercials, pose for a few photos, and use the product on his cooking show. Sensing the huge potential of the new product, Miller cannily negotiated for a multiyear contract in which Kerr was to receive a royalty of about 0.5c on every unit sold instead of a flat fee. To Miller's astonishment, however, Kerr was unimpressed by Glad Wrap, and despite Miller's strenuous effort to demonstrate its enormous usefulness, Kerr remained unconvinced.