IWD: How to inspire the next generation of women chefs - Chef Shama Rahman

Helen Clarke

Chef Shama Rahman

Chef Shama Rahman, My Nawaab's trailblazing female Desi Head Chef is breaking barriers in Manchester's culinary scene as the only formally trained female chef at the restaurant.

Shama is championing an inclusive kitchen culture, paving the way for future female chefs in the industry and making a broader impact in her community through regular initiatives.

Why are culinary careers so male-dominated at the head chef level and how can we disrupt this?

I think there are many reasons as to why culinary careers are so male dominated. We’ve seen men dominate professional kitchens, yet in the South Asian culinary space there is a real juxtaposition where we see women who are expected to be the primary cooks at home, which essentially stems from traditional gender roles. The systemic barriers in place have allowed for such a strong male dominance in the kitchen, especially at Head Chef level and we need to address this to disrupt the industry.

Kitchen culture is notorious for the inflexible hours that significantly impact women with any form of caregiving responsibilities, which is why My Nawaab have implemented flexible, family-friendly policies to help the whole team.

Credit: My Nawaab

Representation matters in all industries and the culinary industry is no different. I have been fortunate to build my profile through community events and social media to increase visibility. It’s so important that we put the foundations in place to show young women that this path exists.

What inspired your softer approach to leadership and has this ever been met with resistance?

My leadership approach is ultimately an expression of my values. Growing up in a South Asian household, kitchens were a place of joy and community which is why I like to lead with a ‘kitchen works best with kindness’ approach to everything we do. We have seen that the softer, team-oriented approach to day-to-day tasks has delivered some exceptional results.

Of course, this approach has faced resistance, especially earlier in my career, but that became validation when the results spoke for themselves! My kitchen now has a lower staff turnover, the team are more motivated, and we’ve even seen an improvement on the food quality. I do think the industry is now realising that toxic environments aren’t necessary for culinary excellence.

In the media kitchens are seen as these intense, stressful, almost dangerous environments - how accurate is this and how can we rebut the stereotypes?

Credit: My Nawaab

We can’t deny the fact that kitchens are high-pressure environments. Many kitchens, if not all, operate under some kind of pressure, especially with the tight deadlines. The old fashioned ‘kitchen culture’ that normalised physical discomfort and intimidation in a toxic environment, should definitely be rebutted.

We're able to maintain the same high standards you see in the media but with better efficiency and without the toxic elements through the correct staffing and planning. We reduce unnecessary pressure and do regular team building focusing on collaboration rather than competition. We’re working towards the same goals, not competing for different ones.

What advice would you give to the next generation of women in culinary careers?

It’s so important to define success on your own terms. I’d advise all women in the culinary environment to really think about what success means to you. A successful culinary career doesn’t necessarily mean running multi-Michelin starred restaurant. It could mean a cookbook, a family run restaurant or even a thriving external catering business.

I’d also recommend developing both your technical excellence and your leadership skills - these are skills that will stick with you throughout your career. By mastering your craft, your competence can’t be questioned and by developing skills such as emotional intelligence and strong communication, you will succeed in everything you do.

Credit: My Nawaab

But my best piece of advice would be to honour your cultural culinary heritage. As a South Asian woman, my earliest culinary influences have been my family, and I’ve inherited many rich culinary traditions. Some of my most successful dishes combine my strongest influences - traditional home cooking techniques with my formal culinary training.

Many lazy stereotypes revolve around women in the kitchen, yet most prestigious chefs are male - what does this tell us about women's relationship with cooking?

This stereotype reveals exactly how society values labour differently based on gender and as noted, these stereotypes are based of traditional gender norms, something we need to steer away from to inspire the next generation of women. It’s clear to see that cooking is valued differently for example, when cooking is unpaid domestic work, it's considered "women's domain” - expected, taken for granted, and undervalued. However, when that same activity becomes professionalised, commercialised, and prestigious, it suddenly transforms into "men's work”- technical, worthy of recognition and highly compensated.

Historically women's relationship with food has been one of nourishment, creativity, cultural preservation, and care. What's interesting in South Asian cooking, is how women have been the primary preservers of culinary heritage. Recipes passed down through generations of women have maintained our cultural identity across oceans and through migrations and now more women are reclaiming the professional value of their culinary knowledge. We're seeing more female-led restaurants than ever celebrating home-style cooking.

The challenge isn't changing women's relationship with food, which has always been rich and meaningful, but changing society's relationship with recognising and valuing women's contributions to culinary arts.