Sizzling Success: Knocking patriarchy off the platter -6

TEAM TALK

“Exhausting yet enchanting, tiring yet trailblazing, this journey was one of its kind. From the industrial heartbeat of Chennai to the sleepy suburbia of Tambaram, I had scuttled over places in search of exclusive knowledge, something that has the potential to make the world a better place for all its constituents. This disparity had to come out to the public. If the world believes that women only belong to the kitchen, then why can’t women earn livelihoods on an equal footing at par with men? Does corporatisation only have to be a man’s bastion?

Women will win. Humanity and the love of food will prevail over greed and division. Food has always taught us that it is a unifier that transcends human boundaries, limitations and experiences.”

-Partha

“The thought of visiting five star hotels was the first thing that struck my mind when we chose the topic. We were so excited when we listed out the five-star hotels that we would like to visit...; I was always fond of seeing cooking shows that come on Television. Because of the project I got a chance to meet a chef in real. I was quite surprised to see the proportion of women chefs. Certain hotels had very few chefs, and some other hotels did not have any female chefs. Culinary space is traditionally designated to be a woman's space, But we see that in professional kitchens, their participation is low. It's high time that we introduce policies that will draw more women towards the culinary sector. From the travels to confirm the interview to the continuous popping up messages in the Feminism project group to doing our work into a blog, I really enjoyed the process, and the presence of a good team made the journey wonderful and we could also make some good memories together.”

-Aswitha

“Tired of continuous end semester exams, we were working endlessly days and nights for the feminism project. Visiting several hotels and dealing with the bureaucratic setups to schedule an interview with female chefs made us struggle a lot. However, we as a team encompassed the hurdles and worked together. Just before summiting the blog, we had an interview scheduled for the last night from the chef of a chain 1 hotel and that was cancelled at the last minute, disheartening us. The interview was scheduled for 10 p.m. and the shift of the chef was going to end at 8 p.m. However, when we called her at 10, she was still on the job working tirelessly. And knowing this at the last moment broke our heart. the anticipation to took an interview shattered. However, we did get an idea about the long working shifts of the chefs, sacrificing their personal commitments for professional work. And this justified the main arguments of our literature review.”

-Aditya

“Working on the feminism project at IITM amidst Chennai's hot and humid weather was challenging. At times, dealing with bureaucratic procedures was overwhelming, draining my enthusiasm. However, looking back, it's amazing to see how everything fell into place and became fulfilling.

One of the most thrilling moments was conducting interviews with chefs from prestigious 5-star hotels. Stepping into those luxurious establishments was a stark contrast to the academic setting of IITM. Yet, engaging with these professionals provided invaluable insights that deepened my understanding of the project's subject matter.

A standout moment was when I had to skip a class for a legitimate reason to attend an interview. I was stuck in the classroom, receiving continuous calls from the hotel chain. After taking a deep breath, I stepped out of the class and called the HR back. My mind froze upon hearing that if I didn't reach the hotel in the next 10 minutes, I'd have to cancel the interview. I sprinted to the bus stop, caught a bus, took an auto, and made it to the hotel in just 20 minutes.

Despite the initial challenges and busy schedules, the journey was filled with moments of intense learning and unexpected joys. The contrast between the corporate world and the academic pursuit of feminism made the experience even more memorable and impactful. Overall, it was a journey of overcoming obstacles, embracing opportunities, and ultimately finding fulfillment through knowledge and understanding.”

-Siri