By Laryn Kuchta
That’s not the kind of email you expect at 10 p.m. on a Tuesday. It’s not the kind of email you expect ever.
If you were cc’d on this email – sent by K College senior Shahriar Akhavan Tafti and addressed to who else but GordonInquiries@gordonramsay.com – and you’re anything like me, you clicked on it as fast as possible. If you didn’t, Shahriar still wants you to hear his message.
The email told Ramsay that Kalamazoo College faces “a significant challenge in our dining hall, where the potential for fantastic meals is lost in their execution.” It listed some key issues, including improperly cooked chicken, erratic use of seasonings, scarce vegetarian options, a lack of nutritional balance, and a lack of consistency in food quality.
“It’s a heartfelt wish among many of us at Kalamazoo College to see an improvement in our dining experience,” Shahriar wrote. “Your expertise in transforming kitchens and uplifting dining standards is exactly what we need. Would you consider visiting our campus to provide guidance and inspiration to our dining staff? Your influence could make a significant difference in elevating the quality of meals here.”
I initially wanted to interview Shahriar to talk about the email itself. Did he expect Ramsay to reply? Why did he cc K’s Dining Services? I had so many questions. But as we spoke, I found out there was a deeper meaning behind the email.
First, I asked him why he chose to send the email when he did. Shahriar has been at K for the past few years: why did it take so long for him to meet his breaking point with the food?
“Complaining about Caf food has been a K pastime as long as I can remember,” he said. “I guess I got fed up. I really don’t mind the Caf food all that much. It can be better, but it’s just I’m sick of people complaining about it.”
His last straw came when he overheard a student’s complaint lead to others grumbling about the food until “everyone jumped in and a cloud of negativity came.”
“I’m like, ‘Guys, let’s be action-orientated instead,’” Shahriar said. “This was just a funny way to embody that, so I went ahead and wrote it. I was like, ‘Guys, what if we emailed Gordon Ramsay,’ and just went ahead with it.”
But why Ramsay?
“There was one day we went to the dining hall,” Shahriar explained. “The chicken looked disgustingly raw.” He had to ask the employee for a safe piece of chicken, and he and his friends joked “It’s f—–g raw!” – a reference to one of Ramsay’s most famous “Hell’s Kitchen” insults.
“I guess that’s where one of the stems came: ‘You know what this kitchen needs? Gordon Ramsay.’”
But did Shahriar really want Ramsay to come to K, or was this just an unorthodox way of sending a message to students and staff?
“I work with ECO (the Environmental Conservation student Organization) as well,” Shahriar said. “We try to get more vegan food and vegetarian food in [the Caf]. So, it’s like actual activism that we’re trying to do. And it’s been good. Originally we had no food, but now there’s a little more food. But there’s still not that much food.”
“And it’s like, if you want genuine change, you gotta voice it. You’ll get that much change as much as you voice it. But if you don’t say anything and just complain in a bubble, nothing’s gonna happen.”
Shahriar’s main message wasn’t concerning the quality of the food. It was, “Okay, you can take action.”
“It’s kinda funny, but also hopefully it does bring attention to the food. Because it is important, y’know? It’s one of the ways we’re actually connected to the material world. As college students, we’re so much in our own heads, it’s one of the rare chances to really get back into it outside of gardening class or P.E. class.”
“I hope he shows up, though,” he added. “Someone mentioned, if we can’t get Gordon Ramsay to come, maybe we could get a smaller chef or something to actually come and make it a thing.”
Now I was curious about who Shahriar cc’d on the email. Aside from addresses like GuestRelations@gordonramsay.com, PrivateDiningAndEvents@gordonramsay.com, and – perhaps most notably – DiningServices@kzoo.edu, the list of students seemed fairly random.
“Everyone on the cc’d list was people who I think would’ve found it funny. It wasn’t like a movement or anything, it was a bunch of my friends.”
Although it hadn’t even been a full day since Shahriar sent the email, word of the message to Ramsay was already spreading around campus.
“I’ve been getting smiles and nods and texts of like, ‘What the f–k was that, what are you doing? Why did you cc the dining hall?’”
“Oh, also, I cc’d the teacher who teaches Cooking Basics,” Shahriar added. “I was considering cc’ing the President and then the Dean, but I was like, ‘Ah, this is taking it too far.’”
So, the email got the attention of K students. But did Shahriar think Gordon or his team would respond?
“Honestly, if they do, I’m down. But the odds are…”
He winced. “Right? It’s Gordon Ramsay! You never know. Sometimes it gets through, but no, I don’t think so.”
He was right. It’s Gordon Ramsay. So, how would he feel if Ramsay was persuaded by his email and did want to visit K?
“Bro, I’d be honored,” Shahriar laughed. “First of all, flex, that I am the person who brought it up. But then, I’d be looking forward to some good food, and I’d really want to watch him in action and see how he would interact with our dining services. I actually would genuinely like a sincere critique on something they prepare for him.”
But above all – above getting the attention of the celebrity chef, above the laughter surrounding the surprising email – what Shahriar really wanted to emphasize was that change is possible.
“My sincerest, most sincere, deepest ask is to stop complaining about the Caf food and take action,” he pleaded. “I am so sick of people complaining about the Caf food. Because either you do something about it or you are just a habitual complainer, right?”
“If you don’t like the Caf food, say something. Do something. They do listen! They just don’t realize it sucks. I bet you they think they’re doing an amazing job, just because we complain in our own circles. So just say something, please.”
Until we get to see the Welles Dining Hall in an episode of Kitchen Nightmares, you can still follow Shahriar’s advice and say something to bring some change! Scan the QR code attached to this article and leave a comment for Dining Services. It’ll take about as much time as complaining to your friends, but unlike those conversations, it’ll go directly to K’s dining staff.
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