Hansom will work closely with BaxterStorey’s Chef Academy, which was founded in 2005 to empower chefs through skills and qualifications.
After completing a three-year apprenticeship at The Ritz, trained by exec chef John Williams, Hansom went on to become the first female to win Young National Chef of the Year in 2017 and more recently reached the final of the 2020 Great British Menu.
She joined The Princess of Shoreditch as head chef in 2021 and has been responsible for the pub achieving 3 AA rosette status.
“I’m really excited to be working with BaxterStorey and its female chefs,” she says.
“Hospitality is a fantastic industry to be in with so much opportunity. Collaboration is key and I hope to empower women in the business through coaching and mentoring to step out of their comfort zone, to achieve their career goals, as well as encouraging more women to join the industry.”
In a separate move, announced on International Women’s Day (8 March) BaxterStorey is also launching a ‘women in hospitality’ network for its female culinary teams to share knowledge, inspire and motivate each other, as well as opportunities for stages at The Princess in Shoreditch.
“By having Ruth join us, we have someone who really understands the challenges of working in a male-dominated industry and how to overcome them,” says Charlie Becke, chef manager at BaxterStorey.
“I know so many of my peers are thrilled to have the chance to work with Ruth, and the network is going to be fantastic to get to know more women in the business, there’s definitely a buzz in the air, watch this space!”