Monica Galetti says she hopes Heston Blumenthal's comments about female chefs were taken out of context
‘I work like a woman and all the emotion which I put into the dishes it comes from my heart.’
Hélène Darroze says that if you agree to win Michelin stars, you have to be okay with losing them
Monica Galetti explains how she teaches her female chefs to speak up for themselves
Dominique Crenn, chef owner, Atelier Crenn
Elena Arzak, Arzak, Spain
Here are some champions of the hospitality industry who should be celebrated every day (but even more so on International Women's Day).
1. Anne-Sophie Pic
She is the fourth woman ever to have earned 3 Michelin stars and is the only female chef in France to achieve three Michelin stars in 50 years.
Top quote: “If you try to change and be like someone else that is wrong, I think it’s important to keep the femininity.”
2. Elena Arzak
“I want my children to do like I did, which is to choose freely. […] I’m teaching them to cook for themselves because even if they don’t join this profession, I want them to be able to cook.”
3. Clare Smyth
Clare is the first British female to run a restaurant with 3 Michelin stars and her debut restaurant Core received two stars as a new entry in the 2019 Michelin Guide, securing a third in the 2021 guide. She also catered for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s evening wedding reception!
4. Yuki Chidui
In the male-dominated world of sushi, Yuki is shaking things up and breaking barriers with her all-female restaurant Nadeshico Sushi where she is the manager and sushi chef.
5. Five Michelin-starred chef Hélène Darroze
"There are a lot of women with a lot of competence and a lot of talent. The only problem is that when you get older, when you are a woman, you have a family, you have children, or you want to have children and it's difficult to manage all of that."
6. Giovanna Satta
Born and raised in Prattada, Giovanna decided to head to London to learn English. As soon as she arrived, her passion for London and the hospitality industry grew. Over the last 10 years, she's worked within sommelier roles within some of London’s finest Michelin restaurants, including Maze Mayfair, The Five Fields in Sloane Square and Royal Hospital Road.
"It’s not an easy task jumping from a one-starred restaurant, skipping the second star and diving straight into a three-star. I wanted to prove to myself that I had enough courage to stand in a very hard old school environment"
7. Irha Atherton
Irha is the co-founder of The Social Company and which opened it's 7th London restaurant in 2019.
"Running The Social Company with Jason has created so many wonderful moments I’m extremely proud of."
8. Kelly Cullen
Kelly is the pastry chef at Cornerstone and has had the pleasure of cooking for Jamie Oliver.
"My proudest moment was when my parents came to eat at the restaurant. They’ve never seen me cooking at home or in any of my other workplaces, so it was really emotional knowing they were there watching me and eating my desserts!"
9. Sarah Frankland
Sarah is the head pastry chef at Pennyhill Park and appeared on Bake Off The Professionals in 2019.
Top quote: "My work allows me to mentor, build and nurture the talent of the future in our industry. My kitchen has 80% female chefs and there are 25% female chefs across the Pennyhill Kitchens. When people comment on the lack of female chefs – I invite them to come and see my awesome team."
10. Dominique Crenn
Dominique was the first female chef in America to earn two and then three Michelin stars for her San Francisco restaurant Atelier Crenn.
Top quote: “Gender has nothing to do with cooking. That's something I'm very clear about. Whether you're a woman or a man, you can be an amazing cook. If someone's doing amazingly, we're going to listen to them.”
In these challenging times…
The Staff Canteen team are taking a different approach to keeping our website independent and delivering content free from commercial influence. Our Editorial team have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience in a balanced way. We would never put up a paywall – The Staff Canteen is open to all and we want to keep bringing you the content you want; more from younger chefs, more on mental health, more tips and industry knowledge, more recipes and more videos. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.
Over the last 16 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs are something we are proud of. We have over 560,000 followers across Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector - we want to do more for you.
A single coffee is more than £2, a beer is £4.50 and a large glass of wine can be £6 or more.
Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you.
Support Us
CONTRIBUTE
‘I work like a woman and all the emotion which I put into the dishes it comes from my heart.’
Monica Galetti says she hopes Heston Blumenthal's comments about female chefs were taken out of context
Hélène Darroze says that if you agree to win Michelin stars, you have to be okay with losing them
Monica Galetti explains how she teaches her female chefs to speak up for themselves
Dominique Crenn, chef owner, Atelier Crenn
Elena Arzak, Arzak, Spain
