Meet one of the U.K’s top women chefs and discover how she’s using her position to empower future generations of women in the culinary world.

February 29, 2024

When you’re at the helm of one of London’s most distinctive fine-dining establishments showcasing high-quality British cuisine, have worked at some of the top restaurants in the country and learned from the best of the best, your life can get busy. But for Michelin-starred chef Sally Abé, making the time to empower future generations of women to get into the hospitality business and champion equal and inclusive working standards across kitchens is essential.

In her quest, Abé is perfectly positioned as the head chef at The Pem at Conrad London St. James, a restaurant that draws inspiration from renowned suffragette Emily Wilding Davison — known affectionately as Pem — a pioneer who pushed boundaries while seeking equal rights for women in the U.K.

Read on to learn more about chef Abé’s rise to culinary prestige, her role as head chef and her tireless pursuit for cohesive and inclusive working environments.

As a young woman chef who has worked at some of the industry’s finest establishments, what are the three most important components to a cohesive kitchen and inclusive working environment?

Everyone needs to feel valued and heard, regardless of seniority. Diversity is important too. Listening to diverse perspectives and respecting the contributions of everyone makes for a more collaborative, inclusive team. Most importantly, you need to treat your team well and look after them. There’s no room for ego in a kitchen, and you’re not going to get the best out of miserable staff. I’ve always seen the best results when your team feels empowered to do their jobs in a positive environment.

What about the Conrad Hotels & Resorts brand drew you to want to work here?

There’s a real affinity between us, not only in the sense that we want to provide incredible hospitality experiences, but also there’s real representation and push for women in senior management. Most of the senior leadership team at Conrad London St. James are women, which is a real rarity and something I admire. Our vision also aligned in that both sides wanted to provide a true British experience, in one of the most iconic parts of London. The team at Conrad London St. James have been so supportive of my ideas for The Pem, celebrating generations of pioneering women leading from the front, building on the foundations of historic British cuisine and celebrating flavors and ingredients that are familiar and much-loved, but interpreting them in my own way.

What more can be done to champion and empower women in hospitality, and in particular, women chefs?

I’d like for people to recognize the importance of a gender balance in the kitchen. I find women tend to be more organized and solve problems in a different way, regardless of ego or status, which is a crucial skill in a high-pressure kitchen environment, and yet we’re still so often underestimated, seen as weaker, less capable. I always say, “You can’t be what you can’t see.” So, it’s important for people who have a strong platform to use that platform to encourage and promote other women. It’s all about leading from the front and creating an approachable environment that women feel comfortable to work, socialize and succeed in. My senior team in the kitchen are all exceptional women and I think it’s important to show other women just how brilliantly we perform in hospitality and attract more of them into the industry.

What was one of the greatest challenges you overcame as a woman and a chef?

I think there is still a preconception that women aren’t always at the top of their game, and when you say you’re a chef, people assume you’re a pastry chef or something that’s seen as more of a “feminine” role in the professional kitchen. I’ve found that kitchens are still male-dominated, and a heavily masculine environment is often intimidating to aspiring female chefs — you have to work faster, harder and speak louder just to be seen as equal. It’s one of the things which spurred me to instigate changes in the industry and make kitchens a more approachable place to work for women, and for everyone in the industry.

What message/advice would you give to the next generation of women chefs?

As soon as you have done one or two days in a kitchen you can get a pretty good idea of what the environment is going to be like. Don’t settle for a crappy environment! Hold out for somewhere in which you feel safe and secure, because there are lots of other amazing kitchens where you will feel valued and supported.

Can you briefly tell us about your memoir, A Women’s Place is in the Kitchen?

A Women’s Place is in the Kitchen is a look back over how I got into cooking and the good, bad and ugly experiences I’ve had along the way. It’s also a bit of a manifesto for change — as, despite the misogynistic refrain that women “belong in the kitchen,” it’s a fact that women make up only 17% of the workforce when it comes to professional chefs. The book looks into why that is and how we can challenge it. It’s been a real trip down memory lane, and it’s amazing to see how far I’ve come since those early days, and see the changes happen (albeit slowly!) in the industry.

Can you tell us a bit about sustainable cooking and locally sourced ingredients on your current menu at The Pem?

It’s obvious that produce that’s flown half-way across the world, isn’t going to have the same level of quality it did when it left, and so by championing British produce it allows us to maintain that high-level of quality that we strive for. It’s really important to me that at The Pem, we support local producers and use as many ingredients from our direct community as possible, working with long-standing trusted suppliers who we know attach the same importance to quality and sustainability as we do at The Pem.

What are your top three favorite restaurants/dining experiences in London, outside of The Pem?

Dorian in Notting Hill is my favorite restaurant at the moment: caviar, tartare, potato rösti — perfect. The curried goat, black sesame cod, celeriac with watermelon seed sauce at the modern West African Chishuru restaurant in Brixton Village is also incredible.

What food and beverage trends are you seeing both at The Pem and around London that you’re excited to experience/create?

I think there’s a big shift towards people wanting low and nonalcoholic alternatives even after January, so it’s a great opportunity for us to create an offering that is as spectacular as our food. I think the days of just having one or two alcohol-free options are long gone, and there’s space to create offerings that are just as enjoyable and varied.