Despite the old adage that a woman’s place is in the kitchen, the world of gastronomy tells a different story. In France, while women make up 35 percent of professional kitchen staff, only 19 percent of chefs are female. But a shift is clearly underway with the likes of industry innovators such as Laetitia Visse, the chef and owner of La Femme du Boucher in Marseille who has bravely spoken out against abusive work environments; Georgiana Viou, the first woman of colour and from an immigrant background to win a Michelin star in France, and Manon Fleury, a champion of both organic cuisine and female empowerment. These women generously opened up their kitchens — and their stories — to Annette Young.
Meet the French women chefs breaking the mould
