Don’t be put off by the sexism in Hong Kong kitchens, say city’s leading female chefs
They urge aspiring chefs to continue to pursue their dreams and to overcome barriers in the industry such as sexism, long hours and physical labour
Hong Kong’s aspiring female chefs should not be put off by the industry’s unsociable hours, the heavy physical labour on the job, and the sexism which often abounds in the kitchen, some of the city’s leading female chefs have said.
The trio of chefs, who have forged highly successful careers for themselves despite facing various barriers, all encouraged young chefs not to give up on their professional dreams.
Peggy Chan, who founded Grassroots Pantry in 2012, said a typical shift could be as long as 14 hours, when she was working in kitchens in 2004, but said this had decreased to a more manageable 10 hours in recent years.
She said she had encountered multiple instances in her career of male chefs “belittling” her, despite the Hong Kong government outlawing sexual discrimination in 1995.
But fortunately, she said, it had not dissuaded her from pursuing her dream of opening her own restaurant, adding that she encountered less and less sexism as she achieved professional seniority in the kitchen.
“That experience has also made me a little stronger and given me a thick skin,” she said.