MasterChef India Winners Kirti & Ashima On Why The Industry Has Few Women Chefs

Kirti Bhoutika & Ashima Arora. Photo: Rituparna Roy

Women may be the masters of their home kitchens, but only a handful make their way to into the commercial kitchen. Geared by passion and love for food, these women chefs are taking over restaurant kitchens across the globe.

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We chatted with MasterChef India winner Kirti Bhoutika and first runner-up Ashima Arora as well as Michelin starred chef Atul Kochhar on the eve of International Women's Day, and asked one question that everybody wants to know.

Why are there very few women chefs in the restaurant industry?

Kirti: It has always been like this. Men went out to earn and women stayed back to cook. The second reason is that women are physically weaker than men. One has to be on the toes all day in a restaurant kitchen and finally bulk cooking requires one to work with heavy utensils.

Ashima: It's essentially a male dominated industry, but someone needs to push the boundaries and do it. If we are doing it, anyone can!

Chef Atul Kochhar: Like many other professions, women have stepped into the professional kitchen quite late. They have always been given a secondary priority in our society. There are many women chefs who I look up to, and I fear being with them in the kitchen!

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