people that aren’t as skilled and train them. The demand outweighs the supply, so if someone doesn’t like the way they’re being treated or doesn’t like the environment they can literally get a job within an hour somewhere else.”
Referencing TV shows such as Hell’s Kitchen, known for its high-intensity format and regular swearing, Asma Khan, chef-owner of Darjeeling Express – where she leads an all female team – and star of the latest series of Netflix’s Chef’s Table, told the Stanadard: “I think that's why we don’t have enough people knocking on the doors – despite the fact that there is an absolute crying need for staff everywhere – is the perception of what it is to work in a kitchen.”
She added: “I absolutely loathe all these programmes that you see on television which show the aggressive side of what it is to be in a kitchen, because these are a disservice.
“They do nothing for the industry, they put off people. They prejudice the minds of parents, whose 16-year-old daughter will say, ‘I want to be a chef’ and they then picture an aggressive, abusive, bullying man shouting in the kitchen.
“There are lots of really nice places to work where there are women, they are very supportive and have a very relaxed atmosphere. It’s very fun, you can learn a lot.”
