Webinar to encourage more inclusive kitchen cultures
A free Webinar takes place later this month to encourage the creation of more inclusive kitchen cultures and support the next generation of professional chefs.
The event, on Wednesday 25 March, is being run by the newly-launched SHEF Movement, a new industry initiative dedicated to celebrating and championing female chefs while driving greater equality across professional kitchens.
The SHEF Movement is led by the HIT Chef Academy, part of HIT Training, a national provider of hospitality and catering apprenticeships which works with employers nationwide through its award-winning Chef Academy.
Gemma Cadden
The webinar will be hosted by HIT Training’s National Hospitality & Culinary Lead, Paul Mannering, and People Director Gemma Cadden.
The session will bring together a panel of inspiring voices from across the industry for an open and honest discussion about the realities of working in professional kitchens.
It will feature a debate on female chefs and the gender gaps that still exist in professional kitchens and will offer valuable advice and insights for the next generation of culinary talent.
Through sharing the stories of real-life journeys of female chefs in hospitality and visible role models, the SHEF Movement aims to raise awareness of the challenges women face in hospitality and inspire positive change across the sector.
Paul Mannering said: “We hope this will be a positive and forward-looking conversation which will raise visibility, share real experiences and inspire chefs, employers and industry partners to be part of building a more equitable future for hospitality.”
Last March, the results of a survey of almost 200 female chefs were published, which highlighted gender inequality in professional kitchens.
The Countertalk survey found that over half of the kitchens the respondents were working in are predominantly male.
Mr Mannering said: “An alarming 75% of female chefs reported experiencing harassment in the workplace, but only 14% felt supported by management when addressing it.
“Respondents also reported being frequently spoken to differently due to their gender, with many experiencing patronising comments, and almost four fifths of them felt that the public perceived them differently compared to male chefs.
“And just 28% of the women surveyed said they believed their contributions were equally recognised, compared to their male counterparts.
“These are the kind of issues which clearly demonstrate that employers have a crucial role to play in creating inclusive kitchen cultures which then encourages greater staff retention and is also likely to inspire more, new talent to want to enter the industry.”
Anyone interested in attending the webinar can register by visiting:
https://hittraining.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_oClbKN47QN-KkA4mKsDvMw#/registration
Anyone who wants to find out more about the movement can visit: www.theshefmovement.co.uk
