International Women's Day
How the Harwood Arms' head chef Sally Abé got there
Name: Sally Abé
Job title: Head chef, the Harwood Arms, west London
How you got there:
I starter my cooking career at The Savoy Grill before spending two years at Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s and five years at The Ledbury.
After this, I worked for Great British Chefs for 18 months then was part of the opening team at Elysian Street before taking over as the head chef of the Harwood in February 2017.
Where you see yourself next:
I am very happy here at the Harwood and will spend the new few years continuing to push everything forward here focusing on the food and service we give to our guests.
Biggest issue for women in our trade right now:
We need to challenge the macho image of kitchens and address the language we use to talk to each other, just because its the way it has always been doesn’t mean its the way it needs to stay.
What, if any, experiences of sexism in the workplace have you encountered?:
The general assumption that all females are pastry chefs is my most common experience of sexism.
Your advice to others who want to achieve what you have:
Be confident in yourself and what you do, never let anyone tell you that you can’t do something you want to do because you can.
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