Less than a quarter of culinary leadership positions today are held by women. American brand Stacy's Pita Chips, part of the convenient foods division of PepsiCo, wants that to change and recently announced the Stacy's Rise Project to empower the next generation of women culinary leaders to pursue their dreams through scholarships, mentorship and thought leadership. The first year of the program will provide four $10,000 scholarships to women attending the Culinary Entrepreneurship program at the International Culinary Center (ICC) in New York City.
To announce the program, Stacy's has partnered with nationally acclaimed restaurateur
Stephanie Izard to shine a spotlight on the work to be done supporting the future generation of female culinary leaders. As a James Beardaward-winning chef with vast experience in building a successful culinary brand, Izard has broken down the industry's toughest barriers for women – and is committed to paying that experience forward. Scholarship recipients will also be mentored by Izard, receiving valuable advice for how to achieve success in the industry.
"As a woman in the culinary industry, I am thrilled to partner with Stacy's to launch a program focused on giving women the support they need to pursue their passions and accomplish their dreams," Izard said. "Bringing awareness to the current situation and working toward a solution is an important starting point, and I look forward to helping Stacy's break down the barriers of the industry and support women as they enter culinary careers."
This is yet another example of the rising footprint of women in foodservice - something we looked at recently in a foodwatching report over on our trendhub. The increase in women in food service trend fits into two of our food & drink mega trends for 2017-18: People's Revolution, and Revamping the Run of the Mill.
Other high profile females to continue to rise this year include Clare Smyth who became the first woman in the UK to be awarded 3 Michelin stars and a perfect 10 from the Good Food Guide, and who's also opening her first solo venture this year, Core. For the first time, two out of the four Great British Menu finalists this year were women, while Kim Woodward made history as the first female chef to run the Savoy Grill kitchen in its 126-year history. Further afield, Carme Ruscalleda i Serra continues to make a big name for herself in Spain - based near Barcelona, Carme is the world's only five-Michelin-starred female chef, with three in her restaurant in Catalonia and two for the Sant Pau in Tokyo.
Read the full report on Women in Food Service on our trendhub here. Not a member? Get in touch today to find out about joining.