When we look at the figure that only 17% of professional chefs in the UK are women, it is clear that the prescribed dominance women had in the sphere of domestic cooking has not translated over to the professional scene.
Widely cited as a reason for this is the labour-intensive environment of professional kitchens. Male chefs are labelled as ‘consistent’ and ‘innovative’, supposed skills that make them better suited for professional kitchens. However, to view this gender imbalance as a lack of personal competence is a gross misunderstanding. Instead, we must turn to the underpinning sexist culture.
Male chefs are labelled as ‘consistent’ and ‘innovative’, supposed skills that make them better suited for professional kitchens.
Cooking is an ability traditionally aligned with femininity - however, when cookery became economically exploitable, it blurred into the realm of the traditionally masculine ‘producer’ role. When women are good at cookery, it is not praised, but seen as part of a woman’s intrinsic nurturing ‘nature’. Alternatively, men are applauded for the development of a ‘skill’.
This translates into professional kitchens, as we unconsciously applaud men for their skill development - which we intrinsically link as more worthy of economic reward, than a female chef whose ‘nature’ is more suited to cookery.
When women are good at cookery, it is not praised, but seen as part of a woman’s intrinsic nurturing ‘nature’.
Professional kitchens run on schedules that are incompatible with the prescribed domestic duties of many women (e.g. busy shifts are in the evenings and on school holidays). Our culture still deems women as the primary caregivers, a role that is often used in arguments against women’s competence to have simultaneously successful careers and families.
Additionally, professional kitchen environments have been accused of many instances of inappropriate comments and touching. Female head chefs have reported being mistaken for assistants. This once again undermines female autonomy and capability.
To work in a professional kitchen is a universally demanding role. However, working in a professional kitchen as a woman includes not only the physical labour, but also the necessity to consistently prove yourself capable against a culture that consistently looks to deny this.
