It’s a man’s food world

The world of professional chefs tends to be male dominated. If I asked you to list 10 chefs off the top of your head, how many would be female? The environment is tough physically and mentally and used to be testosterone-fuelled. But things are slowly changing. Women are infiltrating the kitchens and the surroundings are becoming focused on creativity and empowering all members of the team to deliver excellence in their field.

I have had the privilege to have worked with several chefs within manufacturing and because their creativity is used to the max during the day, they enjoy switching off at home and allowing their wives or partners to rule the domestic front.

The girls at home have traditionally been the ones who have received the hand-me-down tips from their ancestors. I have very warm memories of spending hours in the kitchen with my grandmother and mother, each having their own recipes and teaching style. The boys generally don the apron when there is a BBQ. I think it's the hunter/gatherer instinct that kicks in and the man believes he should be in charge of cooking the meat over hot coals!

But the tide is also turning on the home front. Since the seventies, men's time in the kitchen has tripled. You could say that this has been influenced by TV shows that revolve around competition and portray the winning chef receiving adulation from the audience. Also, probably more realistically, the 'She Economy' is growing, therefore more men are helping out at home. Great for working girls like me who are reaping the benefits!

Becky Sparks is director and food technologist at Sparkling Innovation