Manning the kitchen

Defying stereotypes, following their passion, and holding their space in a male-dominated industry. City chefs talk about overcoming odds



Disha Choudhary and Nimisha Sarah Verghese

When Nimisha Sarah Verghese told her father, Abraham Verghese, a man with extensive background in the hospitality industry, that she wanted to be a chef, he was not much enthused. He tried to dissuade her and said, ‘it’s really difficult. You’ll be peeling crates of prawns, onions and potatoes while others are having fun outside. You’ll have to be responsible and make sure they enjoy themselves to the fullest. That’s what the hotel industry is about,’ she recalls. Sound advice that she never followed. “It mentally prepared me for the fact that a chef’s job is far from glamorous; plus, one works through holidays and weekends.” Undoubtedly her father is proud – she is a sous chef at The Oberoi, Bengaluru, where she has worked for three years. “My responsibilities pan across different functions in our main kitchen. I am the primary support for my executive chef who heads our department. Since I am very keen on Indian cuisine, I also look after the operations for our Indian kitchen,” the 29-year-old adds.

Breaking stereotypes

Verghese is one of the small but growing number of women working in commercial kitchens in Bengaluru in an industry where men vastly outnumber them which has its own challenges. Each says they deal with this in their own way. Verghese finds relief in that she isn’t the only woman in the kitchen. Chef de partie Disha Choudhary, whose culinary career has taken her from Chennai to Chandigarh, and even Coorg, has been working at Bengaluru’s Oberoi for the last five years. “While I was training to be a chef, I faced discrimination where it was assumed I could not perform certain tasks as a girl. I made an extra effort to prove them wrong,” says the 26-year-old. And she’s not alone. Almost all the women we spoke to have admitted how they feel the need to prove their mettle. Pallavi Mithika Menon, also 29 years-old who joined Abhijit Saha’s Fava in January, for instance, has been in the industry for nearly a decade. She started her career at the Taj Group before moving to Italy to pursue a master’s degree at the University of Gastronomic Sciences. She has worked at hotels, bars and even headed a catering operation in New Delhi. “There is a stereotype in kitchens, that women either won’t last – because we are physically incapable, or at some point we leave because we have to think about family and or raising children. This is, in fact, what motivates me,” says the senior sous chef, adding, “Luckily Fava is one of the more welcoming environments I have been in.”
Echoing this sentiment, Kimberly Rozario who works in the bakery and pastry kitchen at Taj Bangalore near the airport, talks about how she had to convince her male colleagues that she was up to the job. “A commercial kitchen is all about quantities. Large preparations, lifting large vessels and heavy crates and trays and, of course, the heat of the kitchen. Convincing your male counterparts you are capable of enduring the same pressure as them is a bit challenging at first, but your work speaks for itself,” says the pastry chef.

‘Workplaces more secure’

Between Toast&Tonic and Olive Beach, both run by the same company, there are six women in their pastry and bread kitchens (of which four are employees and two, trainees). Pastry chef, Girish Nayak at Olive Beach and Toast & Tonic, is of the opinion that most female chefs he has worked with are more disciplined than their male counterparts.

He says most restaurants are not equipped for women as they are completely male-dominated – from the dishwasher to the head chef. They are planning to set up a separate locker room for the women on their team. “It’s important to ensure that women feel secure in their workplace.”

Though Ajit Raman, executive chef at Oberoi (Bengaluru) doesn’t see a big influx of women in the industry, he agrees the work environment is a lot safer for women today. “For one of my first assignments, my chef de partie was a lady. I have seen women in the kitchen in my earlier assignments too, so I don’t subscribe to the view that there are more women [in the field] today. But workplaces are more secure as there is less tolerance [towards harassment]. Oberoi, for instance, has a codified structure with regard to how to behave with one’s colleagues, especially a woman,” Raman says. As a chef-in-training, Raman recalls how women chefs would request him to accompany them whenever they had to walk down lonely back corridors or a secluded banquet hall kitchen. “They would request company to feel safer. However, things have changed considerably since then. Today, I am duty-bound to inform the women in my team that they can come directly to me if they are made to feel uncomfortable. Having said that, I do encourage them to learn to handle it as that’s a learning curve in itself.”

On the other hand, not having any colleagues of the same gender can be a challenge for other reasons. Sarmishta Baliga, who works as a pastry chef at Smoor in Indiranagar, says, “When I started [work], it did affect me a little bit. You need somebody you can talk to or just chill out with during your breaks. However, I got used to it and slowly learnt to use that time for something else: whether it was reading or trying new recipes or even learning something from the hot kitchen, for that matter.”

Find advocates to back you

Women across industries say a supportive family or life partner makes a big difference. The chefs agree. Menon, whose husband owns two restaurants in Bengaluru, says, “neither of us wants to do anything else with our lives, and we support each other unconditionally. Maybe that’s what makes a difference, a partner who respects your dream and motivates you every day to be a better version of yourself. If I ever find the time to have children they will grow up amongst pots and pans and knives and things!” Choudhary, who got married last year shares Menon’s sentiments. She says, “My husband is also in the same industry as I am. Both of us are extremely passionate and proud of what we do.”

Having a champion at work – gender notwithstanding – is a bonus. For both Anahita Girish, who works in the bread section at Toast & Tonic, and Tulsi Ponnappa, who is part of Nayak’s pastry team at Olive Beach, says having supportive colleagues, especially, a mentor and champion such as Nayak is a big plus. Especially given that for both, it’s their first job. “From learning to work efficiently, managing time smartly and of course, expanding my pastry-making skills, I have learnt a lot in these past nine months,” She is in-charge of creating desserts for Olive Beach’s Sunday brunches. Girish, on the other hand, joined the Toast & Tonic team two weeks before it opened at completing her hotel management degree at Christ College. “It has been little over a year since I joined and I’ve loved every bit of it. Every month or fortnight, we try new recipes, techniques, ingredients or grains. It’s a constant learning process.” Ask her what brings her back to work every morning and Girish says with a laugh, “my sourdough starter culture!”

Like all chefs, the adrenaline rush of preparing orders and plating keeps them on their toes. “The most rewarding part of my job is guest delight. I feel a deep sense of happiness when guests appreciate our food, presentation and taste,” Verghese says. Ponnappa agrees that every time a diner sends their compliments, it’s a great affirmation.

A job, not a hobby

Raman points out, working in a commercial kitchen is physically tiring and requires a lot of monotonous, repetitive work, with no fixed hours or weekends off. Rozario has advice for women who wish to take up professional cooking. “Cooking as a hobby and cooking as a job are two very different things. Be practical and do your research thoroughly. An internship with a well-established restaurant or a five-star hotel will be insightful, too, and help you understand if you are really meant for it.” For those who decide to stay the course, young Baliga quotes the famous Julia Child: The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking, you’ve got to have a what-the-hell attitude.