Women Making Significant Inroads In The Food Industry

Traditionally, the food industry has tended to be male-dominated. This has especially been the case in the world of restaurants. However, there now seems to be more of an appetite for change than ever. 

Women are now being seen as more of a force in the culinary world. For instance, workwear for professional kitchens, such as Chef Works aprons, is now been designed to suit different shapes and sizes. This means that female chefs are no longer restricted to wearing traditional chef uniforms that can be big and baggy for their frame. This shift in attitudes can be seen in the increase in women who are working in the food industry. There is still a long way to go until parity is reached but women are starting to make their presence felt. 

Women in the food industry in NYC 

A recent article about women in the food industry in New York City was an interesting read. The number of women within the industry has greatly increased. It has to be said that many of these women are leading the way in small businesses such as bakeries and caterers, rather that the world of high-end restaurants. However, this is still a very positive sign for women who have aims of becoming a force in the world of food. 

Women in the restaurant arena 

Women are also trying to make their presence felt in restaurants across the US, and internationally. It has to be said that many professional kitchens are still male dominated zones. As filmmaker Joanna James discusses in an article which is an interesting read, this is mostly due to the ill-conceived perception that restaurant work is too physically demanding for women and that the hours are too long. As James touches upon, the demands are often just as onerous for men as they are for women. Indeed, there are women who are taking advantage of the changing atmosphere to make their mark in the culinary world. 

Female run restaurants in the US

Some women are definitely making significant inroads into the world of food by running restaurants that are amongst the best in the country. Taking a look at an article recognizing the best female run restaurants allows you to see that there is room for women to open and run great eating establishments such as Concord Hill in Brooklyn New York (run by Kate Sheldrick and Szoke Schaeffer), the Whale Wins in Seattle, Washington (run by Renee Erickson), and The Lost Kitchen in Freedom Maine (run by Erin French). 

The best restaurants invest in their employees, and with coronavirus cases continuing to surge in many crowded cities, it is imperative that health and safety-minded business owners give their workers the skills they need to ensure all food safety procedures are followed in their kitchens by offering online food handler’s certification training through providers like 360 Training.

There is no doubt that there is still a fair way to go before there is parity in the food industry between men and women. However, changing attitudes mean that women now have more of an opportunity of getting a foothold in the industry. This means that several women are now running restaurants and other food related businesses and are doing so to a high standard of success. This can only be a good sign for the food industry going forward.