Amy Brandwine is a six-time James Beard Award-nominated chef and award-winning restaurateur. Centrolina and piccolina A champion of women in Washington, D.C.'s culinary industry, Centrolina has a 100% female leadership team, and the brand's wines are long-standing members of Les Dames d'Escoffier and Women Chef-Restaurateurs. In this edition, voice of foodBrandwein shares a myriad of reasons why there are so few female chefs in leadership positions and why representation at the highest culinary levels is important.
There is more than one reason why women are so underrepresented in the industry. It's a very complex issue and there are so many factors involved.
First of all, many women want to have children at some point, so they often have a hard time choosing hospitality, especially cooking, as their career. Many women in the culinary world quit their jobs as they approach childbearing age. There really isn't a support network for families in the hospitality industry. There are no daycare centers for the hospitality industry that offer flexi-time. Parenting is hard because it's not just a 9 to 5 job. It's discouraging to know that most of the people in the kitchen are men, and the chances of childcare or work-life balance are low.
I believe that if you put in the work, work hard, and the restaurants are full, it will happen someday. Does it take 2-3 times longer than men? absolutely. Am I used to it?amy brandwine
We want to encourage women to continue to enter this industry. One woman said, “Chef, I'm struggling because I want to start a family, but I don't know how to do it.” As the owner and chef, I have a responsibility to be part of the solution, and that means actually telling them how they can do it. Becoming an owner may be your best chance to achieve the work-life balance you need. The reason I did something like this is: I wanted to create my own family life and my own path to success. The only way to stay in the industry was to do it myself.
Therefore, in order for more women to enter the industry, we need to make them speak out loud and practice how to lead it so that when more women enter the industry, we can create a sustainable environment. You need to be objective. We cannot create a sustainable environment without women's participation.
I started my career with a wonderful Italian chef, Roberto Donna, and I was pretty much the only woman in the kitchen the whole time I was there. Walking into a male-dominated kitchen every day, it's literally impossible to forget that you're a woman. I had a hard time because a lot of the time I was under everyone's gaze. “Oh, she's working the grill today. Oh, I hope we don't burst into flames.”
I purposely went to work without makeup to avoid looking too feminine. Because it was the only way to get the job done and have people take you seriously.
Another problem is the lack of female role models and mentors, which is a huge problem. When I was financing my restaurant in Washington, D.C., there weren't 100 famous female chefs that I could say, “Oh, they did it, so I can do it too.” The lack of recognition at the highest levels for women in very senior roles is a deterrent for women. they say: Is this really a realistic opportunity for me? ” Not having a woman by your side who says, “Yes, you can do it.” Ah, like this. ”
When you look at the statistic that women make up 25% of the industry, you're like, “Okay…'' but if you break it down, what percentage do chef-owners make up? How many women are there in the chef/owner list? That brings it down again. How many female chef-owners are Michelin-starred? That number would be extremely low. I consider myself her 1% of the American chef population.
I believe a woman-led kitchen is a better kitchen. I think the number of rotations is low. I think men enjoy the environment in which women work in the kitchen.amy brand wine
There are a lot of stereotypes about what it's like to be a woman in the workforce. Men may express aggression and anger in the workplace and are seen as powerful and responsible. If a woman did the same thing, she would be upset or crazy because she was on her period or something.
But I believe a woman-led kitchen is a better kitchen. I think the number of rotations is low. I think men would prefer an environment where women work in the kitchen. When they go in there, they think: There's no need to do such manly things. ” With people in my kitchen, it just doesn’t exist. We just come and cook. But the atmosphere is completely different. All barriers will fall, all crazy nonsense and aggression will fall aside.
I think Michelin and James Beard are respected and respected. These are typical of what chefs and restaurant owners want to be recognized for. These are extremely important for restaurants and chefs to ensure future success. They have a huge platform to lead from. They have a role to play in setting the right standards for our industry, not just in terms of cooking, but in terms of inclusivity and making connections with people who are under-represented in this industry for the reasons I just explained. I am in charge.
I hope more women are accepted into these organizations. Let me just say that in Washington DC, not a single female chef/owner has ever been awarded a Michelin star. No 1. And that is unacceptable to me. It's been 20 years since a female chef won a James Beard Award in our nation's capital, Washington, DC. That's too long.
At the end of the day, the conversation we need to have as a community, especially in Washington, D.C., is, let's be honest, instead of continuing to ignore that women aren't winning, it's surprising that someone didn't win. I know it's not easy, but sometimes we just keep silent when we don't see progress. For me, that silence is deafening.
However, much progress has been made. He is very honored to have been nominated six times for the James Beard Awards in Washington, DC. Every time I'm nominated, I'm extremely proud of myself, but I'm also proud of the signal it sends to other women. It gives others inspiration and hope to keep doing it. I'm a positive person by nature, so I believe that if I work, work hard, and the restaurant is full of people, it will happen someday. Does it take 2-3 times longer than men? absolutely. Am I used to it? absolutely.
