Nation's Restaurant News has launched "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn," a video series anchored by the publication's food editor Bret Thorn. The show features chefs at their restaurants demonstrating signature techniques and the dishes that define their culinary work.
The series positions itself as a behind-the-scenes look at professional kitchens, capturing how accomplished chefs execute their cooking methods and build their menus. Each episode brings viewers directly into restaurant kitchens to watch technique firsthand rather than simply reading about it.
This move reflects how food media outlets are evolving their distribution strategy. Trade publications like Nation's Restaurant News, which serves restaurant operators and industry professionals, are branching into video content to reach broader audiences. Video allows for direct demonstration of cooking methods, plating approaches, and kitchen workflows that text and still photography struggle to convey.
Bret Thorn, who covers food trends and chef profiles for the publication, brings credibility to the series through his established relationships within the industry and his understanding of what makes restaurants and chefs worthy of attention. His role as host positions the series as editorial rather than promotional, though it undoubtedly benefits participating restaurants.
The timing aligns with sustained interest in professional cooking content. Audiences who follow chef-focused cooking shows, food documentaries, and social media content from restaurant kitchens demonstrate steady appetite for this material. For Nation's Restaurant News, the video series offers a way to deepen engagement with existing readers while attracting new viewers who discover clips through social platforms or the publication's website.
The format serves dual purposes. Restaurant operators and industry professionals gain concrete examples of execution and menu development from successful peers. Meanwhile, food enthusiasts and casual viewers get unfiltered access to working kitchens and the chefs who run them. By featuring restaurants rather than creating studio-based cooking demonstrations, the series maintains authenticity and specificity