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We had the wonderful opportunity to catch up with Olivia Burt, Sous Chef at Claridge’s, who is competing in MasterChef The Professionals on BBC2.  Olivia was also the only female chef to make the finals of the Roux Scholarship.  Our co-founder, Mecca Ibrahim, recently spoke to Olivia about her experience on MasterChef The Professionals and what it’s like cooking on a national TV show.

Our co-founder Mecca Ibrahim, interviews Olivia Burt Sous Chef of Claridge’s who has reached the regional finals of the Roux Scholarship. She is the first woman to do this since Sabrina Gidda made it to the finals 4 years ago.

For the first time ever, on Saturday 29th June, Le Cordon Bleu London will throw open its doors for a very exciting Summer Food & Drink Festival. The world famous cookery school will host a fabulous array of Chef demos including Asma Khan; Olivia Burt and Anna Hansen, to name just a few.

The Young National Chef of the Year (YNCOTY) awards were announced on Tuesday 8th October at a lively ceremony at London’s Hippodrome Casino in Leicester Square. Taking the runner-up spot was Rosie Welch from L’Enclume with Keira Carolan from Simon Rogan’s Henrock taking the third place spot. The  VIP Awards evening took place in front of some of the industry’s biggest names.

The Craft Guild of Chefs Graduate Awards 2024 concluded on 9th August with a ceremony at Fortnum & Mason.  Nine talented young chefs were celebrated for reaching and important milestone in their careers. Following a challenging five-hour Graduate Awards final exam at the University of West London, those chefs who achieved the all-important pass mark. Our co-founder Mex Ibrahim celebrated with the women who reached the finals and the examiners involved.

There are two female chefs competing in Young National Chef of the Year (YNCOTY) finals and both are new to The Craft Guild of Chefs’ competition. Keira Carolan and Rosie Welch both work in restaurants by Simon Rogan in the Lake District.  They were part of twelve talented young chefs who received a special delivery on July 31st 2024. The exclusive YNCOTY chef’s jacket from Continental Chef Supplies (CCS) confirmed the chefs had done enough to impress the judges and earn one of the much sought-after spots in the final which takes place on Tuesday 8th October.

Having worked at Le Gavroche in 1990 under Albert Roux, Louise Monaghan returned last year to be part of the closing team. She has reflected on her time there and has written a piece for us at Women In The Food Industry about the contrast between her experiences in her 20’s and 50’s and the vital role that ‘seasoned individuals’, like herself, still have to play in the hospitality industry. Louise is now starting a new venture to encourage over 50’s to work in the hospitality industry. 

There are three female chefs competing in the Roux Scholarship regional finals in 2024, all of whom are new to the competition. They are: Evelina Stripeikyte, Megan Montibert and Rebecca Tough. Discover more about them ahead of the regional finals.

This year’s message from the Roux Scholarship competition was clear from the start: they needed more women to enter to make sure to get more female finalists through the blind-judged first round. Following a Round Table discussion in October, which resulted in the publication of a White Paper addressing the challenges faced by female chefs working in the UK hospitality industry, the Roux Scholarship was ready to welcome them with open arms. The result? Four female chefs qualifying for the regional finals. We meet them ahead of the  regional finals on March 9th.

Here are the women chefs you’ll be seeing more of on BBC One from 8th November 2021 until Christmas as MasterChef The Professionals returns to our screens for its 14th series.

Applications for MasterChef: The Professionals are now open! MasterChef: The Professionals is returning for its 14th series and is once…

BBC Two’s MasterChef: The Professionals is returning for its 13th series and once again looking for chefs with the talent and ambition to make it to the top of their industry.