Corbin & King to encourage chef mums back to work

Iconic restaurant group and hotel operator Corbin & King has launched an initiative to try to encourage female chefs, who have taken a break in their career to bring up their children, back into professional kitchens.

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Chief operating officer Zuleika Fennell (pictured) told The Caterer: “We know there is a wealth of untapped culinary talent out there â€" there are so many trained female chefs with young children, who are eager to get back to work within the time restrictions imposed by school hours, nurseries and childcare, but who find it really hard to access employers willing to be flexible enough to work within these time constraints.Â

"At Corbin & King we decided we needed to find a way to reach out to and retain this huge pool of talent, some of whom have given up on hospitality as a viable career, and to help them to ease their way back to professional kitchens in a manner that would be beneficial for them and for us."

The Gourmet Mums' Forum will take place in central London, from 11am to 1pm, and attendees will be given the opportunity to learn more about the opportunities available from the group's restaurants â€" the Wolseley, the Delaunay, Brasserie Zedel, Colbert and Fischer's â€" and its hotel, the Beaumont. The promotional flyers add that children are welcome, and baby changing facilities will be available on site.

The concept follows hot on the heels of Corbin & King's Aspiring Women conference, which took place last November and saw the group's female employees air perennial industry issues such as gender equality, work-life balance, and career advancement.

To attend the forum, email gourmetmums@corbinking.com to book a place.