“Have I ever worked under a women chef? I have not.” Rahm Fama, chef and host of the Food Network’s “Meat & Potatoes,” admits this fact in an interview for Logo’s upcoming documentary “Hungry.” Fama is one of many celebrated chefs who hasn’t learned under a female boss.
The “Hungry” trailer, which dropped on Deadline, gives audiences a glimpse into the struggle female chefs face if and when they rise in the food industry.
“If I had let myself see and feel the true sexism that I experienced, I don’t think I would have had enough energy left over to really be as successful as I’ve been,” comments chef Mary Sue Milliken. Now that she is successful, she can see that the way women are treated in the culinary world is “appalling.”
Indeed, it is. The trailer only provides a couple of statistics, but they paint a memorable picture: Women chefs earn 28 percent less than their male peers, and if a female chef wants to open her own restaurant, the numbers are even more bleak, as only 4.4 percent of small business loans go to women.
In order to be successful in this boys’ club, chef Susan Feniger comments, “you don’t want to sound like you’re whining about the situation” for fear of further alienating yourself.
“Hungry” is directed by Patty Ivins and centers on three female chefs/ restaurateurs: Dakota Weiss, Pink Delongpre, and Sarah Kirnon. The doc also features interviews with prominent figures in the culinary world, including Milliken, Feniger, Amanda Cohen, and Marcus Samuelsson.
Check out the “Hungry” trailer below. The doc premieres November 17 on Logo.
