A new industry-wide Ten-Point Pledge designed to champion women, support career progression and strengthen workplace culture across hospitality was unveiled at this year’s HRC – Hotel, Restaurant & Catering, which took place at Excel London from 30 March – 01 April.

The pledge was launched during a panel discussion titled ‘On a Knife’s Edge: Why Women’s Futures in Hospitality Matter’, held on the Vision Stage at the show.

The session brought together leading industry voices including chef, author and restaurateur Sally Abé, who last year united 70 women chefs to co-sign an open letter addressing gender equality and representation in professional kitchens. The letter - and the experiences shared by women across the industry - helped spark a wider, constructive conversation around workplace culture and career opportunities, ultimately leading to the creation of the pledge.

As the author of ‘A Woman’s Place is in the Kitchen’, Sally’s work continues to shine a light on the realities of kitchen life while championing a more inclusive and supportive future for the next generation of hospitality professionals.

Also on the panel was Head of Culinary at Compass Group Gemma Evans-Hurley, Chief People Officer at Ottolenghi Group Odette Schwartz, and CEO of Hawksmoor Will Beckett. The discussion was led by award-winning hospitality entrepreneur Justine Murphy.

Together, the panel explored how the industry can continue to evolve, sharing perspectives on building positive workplace cultures, supporting talent at every level, and creating environments where more people can succeed and progress.

The pledge calls on hospitality leaders to commit to practical, measurable actions that support workplace culture, career development and increased representation of women across the sector.

Following the discussion, and at an industry reception attended by around 70 top women in hospitality, the initiative was supported by all panel members, including Compass Group, Ottolenghi Group and Hawksmoor, alongside a wide range of hospitality businesses, chefs and industry leaders who signed the pledge during the event.

The Hospitality Industry Ten-Point Pledge

“Women are the backbone of hospitality, yet their experiences too often include inequality, insecurity and silence. By signing the pledge, hospitality leaders commit to actively improving conditions for women and to being held accountable for meaningful, visible progress.

• Zero tolerance on harassment, bullying and discrimination
• Fair pay and equal promotion pathways
• Safe, respectful and properly managed workplaces
• Supporting flexible ways of working wherever possible
• Supporting pregnancy, parenthood and return-to-work transitions
• Increasing awareness around women’s health, from menopause to mental wellbeing
• Active mentorship, sponsorship and leadership development
• Inclusive recruitment and unbiased progression
• Funded training, skills development and confidence-building
• Driving sustained progress in the representation of women in head chef and senior kitchen leadership roles”

Speaking during the session, Sally Abé said: “Less than 5% of head chefs are women. To make change, we have to call out exactly what’s wrong, we have to make people aware, especially because so much of this comes down to unconscious bias. Things like the 10-point pledge, or the writing that open letter can actually make people stop and think: ‘Hang on a second - I’ve done that,’ or ‘I’ve noticed that,’ or ‘I’ve seen sexism in the kitchen.’ And it encourages them to feel prepared to speak up about it.”

Gemma Evans-Hurley added: “I’ve been at Compass Group for 17 years, and we feel we have created a culture where people feel listened to.  We created ‘Women in Food’ ten years ago, and it’s become a real catalyst for change, such as introducing our maternity and menopause jacket and our planning for parenthood support guides.

“50% of our apprentices are female so they’re starting off in the industry, and we have to create a middle bridge so that we retain more of these women and they can go on to be successful leaders.”

Odette Schwartz commented: “I think recognition that women need better representation has improved, there is more conversation around equality, and the intent is there, but if you don’t employ the right systems, processes and communication, we won’t see change.

“Change needs to be owned at board level, it needs to be kept alive and reviewed, asking the right questions through engagement surveys, and using that information to understand what’s really happening.”

Will Beckett concluded: “45% of our senior managers are women, but it’s different in the kitchen, where just 14% are female, and we need to bring structural change here.  The 10-point pledge is great... but it’s easy to say ‘pledge done, feminism achieved’ -  you need to have a plan to implement these targets and you have to make achievements visible, not just intent. 

“It’s important for a woman to feel as comfortable working in this industry as a man.”

Jo Farish, Show Manager for HRC said: “The Ten-Point Pledge makes a major contribution to a wider movement to encourage hospitality businesses across the UK to adopt these commitments and go on to demonstrate measurable progress.

“HRC brings together tens of thousands of industry members each year, and we believe it’s important that the show not only showcases innovation but also helps facilitate meaningful conversations and action around the future of our industry. We’re proud to have provided the platform for this initiative and to play a small role in helping drive positive change for women across hospitality.”

Hospitality businesses wishing to see and sign the pledge can register their support at https://www.hrc.co.uk/knife-edge-pledge-page

Hotel, Restaurant & Catering 2027 will take place from 5-7 April at Excel, London.