Why Are So Few Head Chefs Women? We Investigate

International Women’s Day marks the opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women across the world. But it also spotlights the challenges still ahead and one of those stubbornly remains in the culinary space.

To illustrate what we mean, consider the popular TV series The Bear. What it does so well is to upend stereotypes of what kind of person gets to become a top-tier chef — a catchall term encompassing the measures of success common to the industry: Michelin stars, glowing make-it-or-break-it reviews and, of course, positions of leadership.

Through the course of the series, we see the personal and professional progression of one of the series leads, Chef Sydney Adamu. It’s clear she is creative, talented, dedicated and driven. And she, like the series’ namesake Carmy “The Bear” Berzatto, are after that coveted Michelin star. But it’s also clear the odds are stacked against Chef Adamu, as she reaches not only for that rating but for the role of restaurant head chef and all the trust that carries.

As a woman (and a Woman of Colour), stats tell us the odds of her attaining head chef or executive chef status along with a Michelin star are abysmally low – 6 per cent at best.

Gender disparity persists despite the fundamental role many women play in cooking and kitchens around the world, which further exacerbates the issue. So, we spoke with industry experts to learn more about their experiences working in professional kitchens in Canada.

Pexels

What Does it Take to Become a Head Chef?

For the uninitiated to be promoted to the head chef role means the aspiring individual has successfully navigated the strict chain-of-command hierarchy many kitchens follow. That means beginning with entry-level positions, like kitchen porter, junior chef (commis chef), and line cook (chef de partie), and gradually working their way up, through education, mentorship and other professional opportunities, demonstrating their wide range of knowledge and skills.

In this role, the head chef (also traditionally referred to as chef de cuisine) leads the professional kitchen and its staff in its day-to-day operations. From creating the menu, ensuring food quality and presentation, managing inventory, and more.

For the uninitiated, the next level above head chef is executive chef (chef executif). This role typically oversees big-picture plans and strategies, sometimes managing multiple kitchens. Like the one that precedes it, it is a double-edged knife of leadership and responsibility. Both positions also hold power.

“Being an executive chef and owner of my own restaurant, I have the freedom of being creative and also the opportunity to express myself, my culture and my stories through food,” says Chef Danvee Kwok of Ayla Restaurant in Toronto.

For culinary director and Chef Eva Chin of Yan Dining Room, her role also affords her professional and individual creativity: “Creativity that intersects with connection. Connection with community, culture, and yourself.”

Chef Lonie Murdock of Miss Likklemore’s in Toronto says, “The success of my restaurant has opened doors to incredible opportunities – I’ve met and worked with outstanding chefs, and new business ventures continue to present themselves. People recognize my commitment and see that I’m someone worth investing in.”

The same factors that make The Bear so compelling (rising above the odds) are the same factors that keep many other female chefs below this glass ceiling in real life. Though some women clearly overcome the barriers, many more don’t find the same success.

The picture that remains is one of stark underrepresentation at levels that afford women chefs the benefits Chef Kwok, Chef Chin and Chef Murdock describe.

Additionally, the barriers to entry for Women of Colour remain even higher. “Women of color are significantly underrepresented in leadership roles across most industries, and hospitality is no different. There are fewer women of color in upper management, fewer given the opportunity to lead teams, and even fewer with access to the same networks that facilitate career advancement,” says Chef Murdock.

“The assumption that our culinary knowledge does not extend past our skin colour [is one issue]. Just because we are born from a different culture does not mean that we are not well-rounded chefs,” says Chef Kwok. “Food is the love language of the world and it reaches much further than something like skin tone.”

Chef Danvee Kwok, Chef Eva Chin, Joshna Maharaj
(Photo Credit: Barb Simkova, Boris Melev, N/A)

How Many Restaurants are Actually Led by Women?

A 2022 study tells us that of the 2,286 Michelin-starred restaurants across 16 countries, a mere 6 per cent were women-led. And if you think that statistic is the exception to the rule, consider that of the World’s Best 100 restaurants, only 6.5 per cent were headed by a female chef.

In France (the country with the most Michelin-starred restaurants), 52 chefs were newly recognized with a Michelin star in 2024, but only six were women. Of the 36 starred restaurants in Germany, only three have female head chefs.

Of the 26 Michelin-starred restaurants in Canada, exactly two have female head chefs, and two are husband-and-wife chef-owner duos. In B.C., the percentage of females leading professional kitchens in general shows greater parity, with women accounting for 24 percent in senior roles, like head chefs, according to a January 2025 Canadian Geographic article.

Still, these numbers give pause when considering that roughly 50 per cent of those pursuing a culinary education at this time with the Culinary Institute of America are female (comparable enrollment statistics were not available for the Culinary Institute of Canada).

So what accounts for the gender bottleneck in professional kitchens and at its highest tiers? Like in other industries where women are pushing to reach executive levels, the answers are far from simple.

Pexels

What Barriers Keep Women Out of Leadership Roles in Professional Kitchens?

Some reasons for this gap come down to cultural perceptions of who gets to step into these roles. (If you’re unsure, just do a private browser image search of the words “head chef” and “executive chef” and see if there is a pattern in the results you get).

Add to this observation that French’s very term chef executif takes on the distinctly masculine form, fortifying with language what barriers often exist in practice while simultaneously negating possible alternatives.

“Women are still expected to take on caregiving roles, whether for their children, aging parents, or other family members,” says Chef Murdock. “As young chefs reach a critical stage in their careers, many are also considering starting families. The grueling hours of restaurant life, combined with the demands of parenthood, can make it difficult to sustain a leadership role.”

“Joshna Maharaj, chef, activist, speaker, and author of Take Back The Tray: Revolutionizing Food In Hospitals, Schools, And Other Institutions, notes other institutional barriers too: “Very much like issues around race, this is an equity issue. Part of the reason we don’t see many women leading restaurants is that young female chefs do not have the same opportunities for leadership throughout their careers as their male counterparts. You don’t just automatically become a head chef of a restaurant, there’s a process, and women do not have equal access to those opportunities.”

Chef Murdock points out that “any industry dominated by one group tends to reinforce barriers to entry for outsiders. In hospitality, promotions often rely on proximity being part of the ‘inner circle’ can determine who moves from a junior to a senior role. In male-dominated kitchens, it can be difficult for women to break through when they’re not included in that network.”

Chef Chin believes it could also be a combination of weariness and reluctance to change the status quo: “I think [the disparity] exists because of one: the system that was established people are now scared to change it. Two: because changing the system is still so new, those who want to change it are weary of how and where to start.”

The system most professional kitchens follow is based on a Eurocentric (French) model that follows strict tradition – one often steeped in inequality.

There is also the element of fear: “Fear of repercussion – as the females who tend to whistleblow or fight back the system have to pay dearly with their own career journey,” cautions Chef Chin. “I am also scared of my own repercussions from voicing out previous experience.”

Hierarchy manifests in tangible ways in professional kitchens too. Reflecting back on her earlier days, Chef Kwok says, “Mostly back in my earlier career as a line cook… I have always felt that I was viewed as not as capable as my male peers. I had to push a lot harder to be recognised as equals.”

Chef Murdock finds herself sometimes having to manage behaviours on the ground: “I’ve personally had to intervene when male chefs refused to address female employees by their names, choosing instead to call them by nicknames they found ‘funny.’ These microaggressions contribute to an environment where women must develop thick skin just to be taken seriously.”

Navigating barriers means treading lightly for Chef Chin, while carrying the added mental load. “I make very careful decisions of my job choices,” says Chef Chin. “And from each restaurant, I remember to avoid certain red flags… I always make sure I don’t place myself in the same situation again and again.”

Even as chef and owner of a restaurant, Chef Murdock still contends with issues: “I’ve also had male chefs in interviews comment on ‘what it’s like’ to work for a female leader – and they weren’t saying it in a positive way. The fact that a candidate felt comfortable making such a statement to me, the chef and owner of the restaurant he was applying to, speaks volumes about the ingrained biases in the industry.”

For Chef Kwok, managing to progress in her career fortunately brought relief. “During the later years of my career as a chef, I can definitely see things shifting towards a more positive direction.”

Chef Maharaj also sees systemic barriers in other areas of a chef’s life, beyond the kitchen – even once they’ve made head chef. “I’m talking about things like accessing funding – be it through bank loans or independent funders. I’ve heard many female chefs talk about not getting taken seriously at the bank, or even not being able to find a building owner who would rent to a woman. I’m talking about having to balance a life as a mother with the demands of owning and operating a restaurant.”

Additional reasons include a lack of mentorship opportunities, a work culture associated with machismo, and outright discrimination in promotion. Media, of course, too plays a role.

Pexels

What Can We do to Improve Gender Parity in Executive Roles, Like Head Chefs?

Chef Kwok says, “This statistic about Michelin starred restaurants is a small snapshot of the gender disparity in the hospitality industry, however there are many amazing female-led restaurants in Canada and around the world right now… Andrea Carlson of Burdock and Co in Vancouver, [the aforementioned] Eva Chin of Yan Dining Room in Toronto, Jen Agg of General Public in Toronto, Andrea Alridge of Jenevca Restaurant in Victoria and Deseree Lo of Top Chef Canada fame, just to name a very few.”

Chef Murdock’s own success traces back to the role others have played: “I’ve been fortunate to work alongside incredibly talented people, many of whom have more experience than I do. My success is rooted in listening and learning from everyone, regardless of their title.”

While inspiring women chefs like Murdock, Kwok, Maharaj, Chin, Carlson, Agg, Alrdige, Lo and others are modeling change for the future, it’s clear they shouldn’t be the only ones doing the heavy lifting. And talking is not enough to fix the problem on a wider scale.

“Yes, there’s been an awakening to the need to address gender discrimination in professional kitchens, but the problem has not been fixed,” says Chef Maharaj. “It’s not as though simply by talking about it for a while we’ve sorted out the issues.”

Institutions, from culinary schools to the Michelin Guide to individual kitchens, need to do more to level the playing field. “This kind of leadership needs to be nurtured,” says Chef Maharaj. “That’s how we actually build capacity and equity in this industry.”

Chef Murdock also sees a way forward: “I’m optimistic that the industry’s shift away from toxic kitchen culture toward better work-life balance and mental wellness will create an environment where female chefs can thrive.” She adds, “What needs to change is access, mentorship, and opportunity. Women in the industry must create opportunities for the next generation that they may not have had themselves. And men in hiring roles need to be willing to share the spotlight.”

Chef Kwok echoes this: “We as leaders in our industry need to provide more mentorship programs, support systems and a safe, inclusive work environment for all young cooks and female chefs.”

Chef Chin is also looking for opportunities in her practice to do just that: “The most prized of all [opportunities and freedoms afforded to me] is mentorship. To be gifted the platform to mentor people and give them opportunities that were never offered to you is the most rewarding,” she says.

Failing to more adequately foster such paths means a whole other generation of female chefs may never make it past the invisible (and much less coveted) designation of the untapped talent of tomorrow.

“We are in a revolutionary time of our lives, currently. Whether it’s political or social, it’s time for the hospitality industry to level up to all the movements,” concludes Chef Chin.

“I would tell women entering this industry to find mentors, ask for help, and don’t let anyone make you feel like you don’t belong,” advises Chef Murdock. “The industry is evolving, and there’s space for you at the table.”