While the dynamic food and beverage industry offers plenty of lucrative opportunities, success in this hyper-competitive space is not easy to come by. It takes relentless hard work, passion, and commitment to excellence to make a mark for oneself. Moreover, it’s an industry that’s long been dominated by men, with the “old boys’ club” mentality still pervasive in many kitchens and restaurants. 

However, in recent years, the industry has seen a significant increase in female representation in recent years. Let’s take a closer look at the inspiring journeys of some notable pioneers and pathbreakers. 

Clare Smyth: The first female chef to run a three-Michelin-starred restaurant in the UK.

Asma Khan: The first British chef to be featured on Netflix’s “Chef’s Table”.

Julia Momose: A pioneer in the world of cocktails.

Recently, we hosted an event with three such extraordinary entrepreneurs: Pooja Dhingra from LE15, Annie Bafna from The Nutcracker and Avantika Ahuja from Cococart in conversation with Titan Rakhee Vaswani, Chef & Founder, Palate Culinary Academy. They got real about their journeys of navigating failures to find success. Key takeaways include: 

• You’ll never have all the answers. Entrepreneurs need to pour in years of effort, passion and personal investment
• Clarity of thought is crucial. Know where you want to be and never lose sight of the bigger picture
• Success is not linear. It is a multifaceted, constantly demanding and complicated path that needs to be navigated from the ground up
• You need not be the jack of all trades. Play on your strengths and hire talent for the rest.
• There is a very thin line between courage and recklessness. Dream big but don’t be in a hurry
• Build a support system that proves instrumental in striding forward

In a heartwarming, intimate anecdote, Pooja spoke about the highs and lows of entrepreneurship. We all know her as the pioneer who made macaroons a mainstream dessert in India. The cosy, warm Le15 Cafe at Colaba was a place very dear to many Mumbaikars, which she, unfortunately, had to shut down due to challenges posed by the pandemic. While in the corporate world, vulnerability is considered a weakness, Pooja’s experience as an entrepreneur has been otherwise. When she announced the news of their Colaba Cafe shutting shop, her Instagram followers boosted her morale and uplifted her spirit with words of encouragement. This helped her build unparalleled courage, faith, and confidence in her own abilities.

Annie shared about toying with the idea of going to culinary school but ended up pursuing Chartered Accountancy. After working for 14 years, she finally gathered the courage to  ‘cater’ to the F&B bug and went after her dreams. 

These women, and many like them, have proven that one can break all barriers and challenge all stereotypes with unwavering passion and perseverance and continued conversations to change the dynamic. All it takes is to have a stronger voice, advocate for equal opportunities and push for change through grassroots movements and lobbying efforts.