During Friday’s afternoon panel discussion, “Women Shaping the Future of Food,” three chefs gave their insight on navigating an industry historically dominated by men. The event was part of the lineup for the inaugural Chef’s Table Festival in Park City, held between attendees’ lunches and dinners. It was moderated by filmmaker David Gelb, the creator, director and executive producer of the “Chef’s Table” series, who joked that as a man, he was the least qualified to guide the discussion. “I’m going to set an example for what men should often do in these conversations, and I’m just going to listen, I think, and turn it over to you guys,” he said. At least, that was his plan, but panelists — Har Mar chef Fariyal Abdullahi, open fire chef Sarah Glover and social media chef Betül Tunç — insisted he ask a few questions. He caved. “Sure, I have a question for you. How do you see the food landscape changing in terms of women being part of the fine dining world or the conversation of cooking?” he asked. Abdullahi said the biggest change has been in numbers. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park Record Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park Record Filmmaker David Gelb, left, the creator, director and executive producer of the “Chef’s Table” series, moderates a panel on women in the culinary industry, including Ethiopian American chef Fariyal Abdullahi. “When I was coming up, there was never women,” she said. “So I never had a role model that I could look up to.” It’s in part thanks to allies, like her restaurant partner Marcus Samuelsson, that women have continued to make strides in the industry, she said. Glover, who is originally from Tasmania, Australia, but now lives in Kamas, said she also has examples of men who made space for her to come up in the food world. Now, her passion is empowering women in the industry, which she described as a return to heritage. “Women were actually on the forefront of cooking back in the frontier days. Like they stoked the fires, they harvested a lot of the produce and they broke it down,” Glover said. “We’re actually taking back what was originally ours as women.” As a chef who works with fire — which she’d been told is a man’s role — Glover said she looked to aboriginal history in Australia for inspiration, where women were the fire tenders. Abdullahi, an Ethiopian American chef, said she also draws from her cultural history as a woman in the kitchen. “(Ethiopia), we’re the only country in Africa that successfully resisted colonization,” she said. “One of the reasons we were able to hold on to our independence was, for the first war, the emperor’s wife, she actually led her own battalions, so she went to war.” “I have that in my blood,” Abdullahi said. She was also raised Muslim, where, during meals, men are traditionally served first. It’s a dichotomy that she’s embraced as a leader. “When I’m with my partner, I will always serve him first. It’s not a sign of … being submissive, it’s just, that’s how I was raised, and I’m fine with that. But also, I could go to battle at the same,” she joked. In her kitchen, Abdullahi said she’s taken the opportunity to change the culture of “the brigade.” “I was never motivated by somebody yelling in my ear. That didn’t make me work faster or more efficient. I was already working to the best of my abilities,” she said. “The system that I came up in only motivated me to do the opposite.”  She gave a shoutout to Korean chef and Buddhist nun Jeong Kwan Sunim, who was in the crowd, whose “Chef’s Table” episode was an inspiration for Abdullahi when it came to running a team.  “I think happy people are more productive, so why don’t we try running a kitchen with joy?” she said. “Leading a kitchen with joy does not mean there’s an absence of discipline. There still is a lot of discipline in my kitchen.”  Social media chef Betül Tunç, right, talks about her journey to having 10 million followers on her account. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park Record Tunç, who has amassed 10 million followers on her social media with Turkuaz Kitchen, said it takes courage for women to step into the culinary world. She’s originally from Türkiye, and comes from a family tradition of restaurant ownership, and it’s always been her dream to start her own bakery. But after moving to Virginia with her husband, she was told it would be too difficult. So she found her own way. She’s since become famous for her aesthetic baking and comforting dough-focused videos, all entirely self-taught or using family recipes.  “Being brave is I think the most important part for this industry,” Tunç said, and explained that the concept doesn’t need to be fancy. “(Turkuaz Kitchen) is me. I’m this woman, and I’m showing my food, what I’m making for my family.” Glover said that simplicity is how she got her start — baking cookies fresh to order. She said growing up in Tasmania, she loved seeing women have their own small baking businesses, with “honesty boxes” and goods out on a road stand. Part of the discussion of being a woman naturally covered navigating the challenges of motherhood while working in the culinary industry. Glover had her daughter four months ago, and said for a long time she worried becoming a mother would mean sacrificing a career, a thought Abdullahi admitted to having. “Sometimes as women, if you’re a perfectionist, you can try to control everything, and you really should just let go,” Glover said. “You just adapt. You’re like, OK, I need help. I have to succumb to letting go a little bit of control over things and just relax and have fun, and enjoy the process and the ride.” Still, motherhood is super hard, Tunç said, who said she struggled with postpartum depression after having her second child. But she had the help of her husband, and agreed with Glover that women are resilient in the face of those challenges. “When I was pregnant, I was like, do I need to give up my career? And honestly, no, you don’t,” Glover said. “Women do gather around one another, and I want to see that more and more.” Sarah Glover speaks during a panel discussion at the Chefs’ Table Festival in Park City. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park Record The post Women in food discuss ‘shaping the future’ at Chef’s Table panel appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less