Gender Differences in the Evolution of Haute Cuisine Chef´s Career

Abstract

This article reviews gender differences in the career paths of successful chefs, including barriers, success factors, and the entrepreneurial path. The research was developed in 2016-17, using an international survey carried out in Spain, France, and the United States among culinary students, cooks, and chefs who responded to a structured questionnaire based on pre-selected topics. The results show that a chef's career requires various sets of skills. They should be leaders, mentors, and entrepreneurs.They work in a hard and competitive environment where building their brand and achieving public recognition is a must. Their professional satisfaction depends on learning, evolving, and launching their restaurant. There were two main differences between the sample of women chefs and the general sample of chefs: they required more mentoring, and they achieved greater job satisfaction when they were selfemployed.

Becoming top global chef: what does it take to become a highly successful entrepreneurial careerist?

“…It is worth pointing out that others have used either a smaller sample to interview (e.g. one chef in Traynor et al , 2021 and six in Albors-Garrigos et al , 2020) or a larger regional sample to study quantitatively (Aubke, 2014; Gergaud et al , 2011). Through this innovative methodology, our study is able to look at larger samples qualitatively and provides new insights on this elite group.…”

“…They related innovation to artistic aspiration, perceived newness, continuous and discontinuous conditions, learning and network and adaptation. Finally, the gender barriers in becoming a top chef are documented, but Albors-Garrigos et al (2020) empirical study found “feminine values” to be important factors in the success of six female top chefs. Our study answers these studies call for further research in a larger sample adopting a qualitative design (Albors-Garrigos et al , 2020; Traynor et al , 2021) on the processes of becoming a top chef (Gergaud et al , 2011; Stierand and Lynch, 2008).…”

Gender inequality in the culinary profession in tourism from the perspective of university students with working experiences in culinary

“… Albors Garrigós et al (2020) carried out a study that analyzed the success factors and barriers faced by chefs in their career paths, as well as the differences between genders, in Spain, France, and the United States. According to the study, the career of a chef demands a range of skills.…”

Gender discrimination in haute cuisine: A systematic literature and media analysis

“…Druckman (2012) and Harris and Giuffre (2015) outline this role in their books on women chefs. Other authors (Albors-Garrigos et al, 2019) consider entrepreneurial activity as a critical enabler based on quantitative analysis.…”