Cheffing on Her Own Terms: The Rise of Female Foodpreneurs

Women have long done the work of feeding others — in homes, communities, and across generations. They’ve cooked for birthdays, family gatherings, and everyday meals. Yet despite this experience, their role in food has rarely been treated as professional.

The professional kitchen has historically excluded them — not just through underrepresentation, but through culture. In 2025, over 70 female chefs signed an open letter calling out a “culture of fear” and systemic misogyny that continues to define parts of the industry.

Rather than wait for that to change, many women are stepping out of those spaces and building their own. Through private cheffing, they are turning home kitchens into businesses and long-standing skill into paid work.

What was once unseen is now visible. What was unpaid is now profitable. And what was considered routine is fast becoming a new model for success — on their own terms.

The Traditional Kitchen Didn’t Fit — So They Left

Professional kitchens follow a familiar script: long hours, rigid hierarchies, and limited flexibility. For many women, that structure simply doesn’t work. A 2024 survey found that nearly 40% of experienced female chefs have considered leaving the industry, citing burnout, stalled progression, and lack of support.

Chef Melissa was one of them. After years in high-pressure kitchens, she moved into private cheffing to regain control. “Choosing when I want to work, picking my clients — it’s awesome,” she says. “Better than any professional kitchen I’ve worked in.” Through yhangry, she now chooses her bookings and sets her own pace.

She’s part of a wider shift. As traditional kitchens struggle to evolve, many women are creating alternatives that work better for them.

From Household Skill to Business Model

Private cheffing values something that’s long been dismissed: the everyday labour of feeding people well. What many women have done for free — with care, consistency, and creativity — is now being recognised as professional value.

Chef Shaloma’s journey began early. “I have been a chef for all my life,” she says. “I am originally from Jamaica, my family was big on food, and even as a child, I was hooked on cooking; always popping into the kitchen at family events, and finding something to do.” During the pandemic, she formalised her passion into a full-service catering business from home. Today, she’s fully booked through yhangry — proof that what starts in the family kitchen can evolve into serious work.

Others come from different fields entirely. Chef Rajika trained as a pilot and worked in HR and insurance before turning to food. “Indian parents think of cooking as a hobby, not a career option," she recalls. After moving to the UK in 2022, she began experimenting with meal prep and small-scale catering. And then a last-minute Christmas booking with yhangry helped her realise the potential in private dining. “That night I realised I loved doing this,” she says.

These stories aren’t outliers. They reflect a growing trend — women using food to build flexible, self-directed careers rooted in skill and culture.

Visibility, Recognition, and Creative Control

In traditional restaurant kitchens, cooks are often kept out of sight — and women even more so. Despite their skill, they’re rarely seen leading. Just 6% of Michelin-starred restaurants in the UK have a female head chef.

Private cheffing offers a different model. Here, the work is not only hands-on but visible. Chefs meet clients directly, design menus from scratch, and receive immediate feedback. That direct connection brings recognition — and with it, confidence and control.

Chef Lauren puts it simply: “I was always the one cooking for family dinners. Now I’m being paid well to do the same — but at a higher level.” After stepping away from restaurant work, she built a solo business managing regular bookings and long-term clients.

Chef Caitlin took a different path. After graduating from Ashburton Chefs Academy, she went straight into private cheffing — designing seasonal menus, sourcing locally, and transforming holiday rentals into fine dining spaces. “The feedback is immediate. The connection is personal,” she says.

For many women, that visibility — being seen and credited for their work — makes private cheffing more fulfilling than anything they experienced in traditional kitchens.

Work That Works for Them

Flexibility is one of the biggest draws. Private cheffing allows women to decide when, where, and how much they want to work. Most bookings happen on weekends or evenings, leaving space for family, rest, or other commitments.

That structure matters. In a 2024 survey, 52% of female chefs with children said flexible hours were critical to staying in the profession. Without it, many would leave.

In this model, work becomes sustainable. Some chefs take on a few high-end bookings a month. Others scale their offerings through events and repeat clients. Either way, the pressure is manageable, and the pace is self-set.

The result is not just better work-life balance — it’s stronger business outcomes.

A Quiet Redefinition

The rise of female foodpreneurs isn’t a trend — it’s a shift in how women participate in the food world. They’re no longer waiting to be included. They’re building something better.

Yhangry’s internal data shows the change clearly: more women are joining the platform every week. And they’re not just participating — they’re growing. Client retention is high, referrals are strong, and many are expanding into new formats, from catering to immersive dining.

What was once invisible labour is now a viable, visible profession. Women are transforming cultural knowledge into value, and everyday skill into entrepreneurial success.

This is what it looks like when women don’t leave food — but take full ownership of it. Quietly, confidently, and entirely on their own terms.