We Asked Male Chefs Why There Are So Few Females in Professional Kitchens

I once hosted a party where the theme was home appliances. I was dressed as dryer. My two brothers, and the rest of the male participants, found it hilarious to dress up as housewives. It perfectly illustrated how people of my generation still believe, on some level, that women belong in the kitchen.

That stereotype is miraculously reversed when it comes to professional kitchens: here, men are the cooks. Only 10 percent of all cooks in Dutch restaurants are women (and that figure doesn't get much better in most other countries). I am one of those few. Why is there such a lack of femininity in the kitchen? MUNCHIES decided to ask some seasoned male cooks why they think that so few women are in professional kitchens. If we are to believe these guys, the absence of more boobs in the workplace can be traced back to a bastion of gender stereotypes: women cannot do the work physically, women don't like the rough working environment, and woman would rather do other things in life, such as give birth to children and cook for their husbands.

Jason Blanckaert, chief cook and owner of J.E.F. in Ghent "I think that women often give up the job because of their social life—in my experience at least. Good female cooks often quit their work because the boyfriend, for example, finds it hard to be in second place; his girl is often away from home and that means he has to cook his own food. Women who want children often quit, too. They will then look for another job that still has to do something with food, but one that gives them enough space to care for their partner and children. I can understand this, but it's a pity. All the women with whom I've worked were incredibly good in the kitchen. They bring a nice atmosphere, are usually organisationally strong, punctual, and social. The women that continue to work in the kitchen are often lesbians."

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