Female chef in a UK kitchen bashing sexism

London:

Dozens of female chefs have denounced “wide range of” sexism in UK restaurant kitchens, saying the industry needs more women in top roles.

About 70 women signed a letter first published Wednesday in response to a newspaper interview with Jason Atherton, who claimed that the Michelin-starred male chef “didn’t see” sexism in a British kitchen. did.

The female chef said the restaurant industry was “systemically flawed” and criticised the “pathetic representation of women” at the Michelin Guide UK Awards announced earlier this month.

“Gender discrimination is a widespread problem in our industry and still shapes our kitchen culture in ways that reduce the potential and contribution of countless talented women. ” the letter states.

“We need to know that we are tired. We are exhausted and systemically flawed in the industry, and we struggle to see ourselves in it.”

The chef said “inappropriate comments and behavior,” “unequal opportunities for promotions,” and “only two women who have been awarded Michelin stars in the past four years.”

According to the latest office of the National Bureau of Statistics, about a quarter of the country’s 203,700 chefs are women.

The letter signator emphasized that it is important to address the lack of diversity in the industry, saying, “The only way to do this is to correct the shortage of women and people of color in leadership roles.” He said.

Those who signed the letter included The Pem of The Pem in London and Helen Graham, former executive chef of Helen Graham, the Times.

“The industry is so endemic that it’s not perceived as sexist and left unchecked,” Graham told the paper.

The Michelin Guide told AFP in a statement that it condemned all violent and harassment. But it admitted that “gender stereotypes were sitting deep in the industry.”

“The chef’s gender was never the norm for our choice,” added Michelin, adding that he was “aware of that responsibility” to promote diversity. AFP