“Against all odds”: Head chefs profiled

Occupational identity and culture: the case of Michelin-starred chefs

“…What is more, the research brought to the fore that cultural acceptance amongst chefs is global and transcends social class, gender, sexuality, and race/ethnicity. In addition, it can be argued that the psychological boundaries of the chef community are constructed by the nature of the work and the routines and tasks associated with being a chef (Balazs, 2002;Allen & Mac Con Iomaire, 2016). The nature of the work defines the worldview, the value system of the chef community.…”

“…A particularly noticeable trend in the hospitality literature has been researchers' tendency to investigate the hotel and catering workforce as a whole, which has therefore resulted in a lack of consideration being given to the particularities of specific occupational groups, such as chefs (Allen & Mac Con Iomaire, 2016). It is not surprising therefore that little methodical analysis has been carried out about the work of chefs (Alexander et al, 2012;Wood, 1997) and, in particular, the social structures and processes (i.e.…”

“…Burrow et al, (2015) provided an anecdotal account of a (male) chef's experiences from the early stages of his career as a commis chef to the day he was appointed as a head chef in a haute cusine restaurant. Allen & Mac Con Iomaire (2016) profiled head chefs in the Republic of Ireland; their findings include the following: the sector is still male dominated (84%); there is a high turnover in the sector; an increased rise in the attainment of degrees was observed; and the career path to become head chef is long and challenging. The problems of high turnover and retention have been also investigated in different countries (i.e.…”

Secrets of a Head Chef: Exploring Factors Influencing Success in Irish Kitchens

“…Research has begun on various aspects of the chef's occupation and culture, including work on kitchen violence and bullying (Alexander, MacLaren, O'Gorman, & Taheri, 2012;Bloisi & Hoel, 2008;Johns & Menzels, 1999), occupational stress (Murray-Gibbons & Gibbons, 2007), retention and training (Pratten, 2003;Robinson & Beesley, 2010), liberal education (Hegarty, 2004;Magnusson Sporre, Johnson, & Ekström, 2015), and gender (Bartholomew & Garey, 1996;Harris & Giuffre, 2015). However, specific research on head chefs remains extremely rare (Allen & Mac Con Iomaire, 2016). With this in mind, a thorough analysis of the literature on chefs and career success was carried out, as can be seen in the discussion below and in Table 2.…”

“…In this regard, they are essential for companies that hope to remain competitive as they can be used to plan for management succession or the selection, recruitment, and training of staff (Sengupta, Venkatesh, & Sinha, 2013). Understanding the factors contributing to culinary success may also help reduce high levels of turnover within the industry (Allen & Mac Con Iomaire, 2016;EGFSN, 2015;Lydon, 2012;Robinson & Beesley, 2010;Sheehan, 2014;Wang et al, 2011), which is a regular issue for employers in the sector and a particular hot topic in the current Irish hospitality industry.…”