London's kitchens lack women from ethnic minorities
Chef Ravinder Bhogal says there is still “a way to go” until women from ethnic minorities are truly represented in London kitchens — but hopes she can be a “trailblazer” and inspire young people to cook.
The 35-year-old from Shooter’s Hill rose to fame after appearing on Gordon Ramsay’s The F Word in 2007. He crowned her Britain’s “new Fanny Cradock”, to follow in the footsteps of the TV chef.
Bhogal, who was born in Kenya and raised in London by her Indian parents, said: “I hope to inspire women. I think we are getting there and there are certainly more women in professional kitchens now than ever before.
“But there is a way to go — especially with women from different ethnicities. I hope I am a bit of a trailblazer, and that I inspire young women from different backgrounds to see that it is possible to be a success.”
After appearing on the Channel 4 show, Bhogal — who published her debut cookbook, Cook In Boots, in 2009 — went on to take residencies in some of London’s top restaurants.
She worked with Mark Hix at Selfridges, Karam Sethi at the Michelin-starred Trishna, and at Rowley Leigh’s Le Café Anglais. Her own restaurant is now “very much on the cards”, she said. “We have got everything ready — we just need to find the right location. Preferably somewhere in central London.
“One of the main elements of my restaurant will be community. I want people to come in and feel at home. I want to give good, friendly service and great food at a reasonable price. Something nostalgic and comforting.”
Bhogal was speaking as she launched a series of supper clubs taking place at the East Village, the residential site in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
The project has been launched in association with ShareEast, a scheme started by residents, and will see members host monthly dinners to give locals a chance to get to know each other.
Bhogal said: “One of the things that makes London so great is its diverse communities. This is about helping people and sticking together.”
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