Survey finds imbalance between male and female chefs

Male chefs dominate the restaurant and hotel restaurant sector; according to the survey 77 per cent of restaurant chefs surveyed were male and just 19 per cent of chefs working in the hotel restaurant sector were female.

Female chefs are much more likely to work in the public or retail sectors, with 98 per cent of directly employed chefs in education catering being female and 71 per cent in the retail sector. Female chefs tend to be marginally less qualified than men, and are less likely to have obtained high-level NVQs or similar qualifications.

But there are more male chefs working in the industry with no formal training (13 per cent of those surveyed). Female chefs are, on the whole, significantly older than their male counterparts, and are likely to stay in one job longer.

The data was highlighted by Women 1st – part of hospitality sector skills council People 1st – to coincide with International Women’s Month this month. The data originates from the government’s 2007/08 Labour Force Survey.