Why do so few female chefs have Michelin stars?

Female chefs have been left feeling burned after only one UK or Irish restaurant run by a woman was among the 22 to win a coveted Michelin star this month.

To make matters worse, the woman – Emily Roux of London's Caractère – was given a male chef's jacket to wear to join her 21 fellow winners on stage for a celebratory photo. "Mistakes happen," she later told London's The Standard, "but I was the only woman on the stage and they could have made an effort."

It's a male chef's world

This is not the first time the Michelin awards have been scrutinised for their record on gender parity. A 2022 report found that of the 2,286 Michelin-starred restaurants in the world, only 6% were led by women.

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"For every female-led Michelin-starred establishment, there are 16 run by men," said professional organisation Worldchefs.

That doesn't mean women aren't in the kitchens, but the Michelin star is awarded to an establishment's head chef and not the wider team that supports them. Those chefs are still overwhelmingly male.

Systemic inequalities result in women taking on the bulk of childcare and household duties, so building any career is difficult enough, never mind the "unique and intense demands" needed to reach the highest echelons of a culinary career.

Keeping women in the kitchen

Demands outside the restaurant world may not be the only reason so few women reach the top. The "macho culture" in kitchens can make them "hostile and intimidating" for aspiring female chefs, said Hospitality & Catering News.

Indeed, 70 female chefs wrote an open letter to The Times last week denouncing the "culture of fear" they say exists in British restaurants, and alleging everything from "inappropriate comments and behaviours to unequal opportunities for advancement".

Many female chefs' experience of professional kitchens involves "severe sexual harassment", said The Telegraph. One said that complaints about a male colleague pressing against her were "met with jeering". Another said a man grabbed her "inappropriately", causing her to "mess up". He then told their head chef she wasn't ready to progress to a new section.

But there is "good news" too. Many of the women who signed the letter are now in positions of leadership, enabling them to change restaurant culture "from the ground up". "This feels like our #MeToo movement, in some way," said London chef Sally Abé.