Abstract:

The gender gap in kitchens in Hong Kong hinders the number of female chefs in the kitchen. Previous literature has shown that gender discrimination exists within the workplace in the hospitality industry and professional kitchens of Hong Kong. A qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews was used to provide an in-depth perspective on the phenomenon. For the research, five female chefs in the height of their careers were interviewed. Results showed that the barriers they faced included; physical ability, gender discrimination, less opportunities for learning and promotion, and work-family conflicts. They found passion and having a positive attitude towards their job experience as solutions to those barriers. They tend to consider themselves as chefs who contribute positively to their craft in the kitchen. Among the themes discovered, the cultural background of the chefs affected their experience in the kitchen. From the study, it was found that Chinese philosophies and beliefs may be related to the overall situation in the culinary industry in Hong Kong. Recommendations focus on education, government assistance and future studies are proposed at the end of this paper.