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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.

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.

In September 2019 renowned culinary institute, Le Cordon Bleu London announced the winner of their coveted Julia Child Scholarship. Bianca Tia Mesuria from Hackney in London went home with the title after beating off immense competition for the prize. Our co-founder Mecca Ibrahim caught up with her to find out more about the competition, meeting baking legend Mary Berry and appearing on BBC Saturday Kitchen Live.

The SquareMeal Female Chef of the Year award was launched in 2018 to celebrate the huge contribution female chefs are making to the UK restaurant industry.  On 21st October 2019 Skye Gyngell chef-patron of Spring and culinary director of Heckfield Place became the second winner of the title. Skye was presented with her award at a Champagne reception at The Goring in Belgravia for the shortlisted chefs.

We had the wonderful opportunity to catch up with Head Chef, Ruth Hansom, of Pomona’s on Hereford Road in Notting Hill who  joined the line up of chefs who competed in the Bocuse d’Or National Selection on 30th September at The Restaurant Show. The Bocuse d’Or,  is the world’s largest and most prestigious cooking contest and Ruth was the only female chef to make the finals to represent the UK. Our co-founder, Mecca Ibrahim, spoke to Ruth about the competition behind the scenes at London’s busy Olympia Exhibition Centre in our podcast and interview.

Renowned culinary institute, Le Cordon Bleu London announced the winner of their coveted  Julia Child Scholarship. Bianca-Tia Mesuria from Hackney in London, was the chosen candidate having beaten off immense competition with entry numbers for the prize at a record high this year.

In the ninth of our series of Female Food Founders interviews we turn again to  education and training.  We met Catherine Farhina Founder of The Chefs’ Forum – an organisation that brings together leading chefs, colleges and food trade suppliers in the UK and beyond.  She also set up The Chefs’ Forum Educational Foundation to raise funds for young people in the hospitality industry. Our co-founder, Mecca Ibrahim, chatted with Catherine  about how she got into the hospitality business, the importance of developing young chefs and her food inspirations in the industry.