A Woman's Place is in the Kitchen
On sale
6th June 2024
Price: £20
‘Sally really tells it how it is . . . This book will be a go to for those needing that bit of bravery and resilience in a world that needs more people like her‘ CANDICE BROWN
‘Wow. Sally’s book is an insightful, honest account of a young cook’s journey to an inspirational chef‘ ANGELA HARTNETT
‘She doesn’t so much pull back the curtains as yank them away, revealing the plain truth of what it takes to get dinner on to your plate‘ OBSERVER
It’s a familiar trope: angry men berating each other in kitchens as pots furiously boil, sauces burn and a giant slab of beef rests in the background. The dominant view of a professional kitchen is one of chaos and pent-up fury – a gladiatorial contest of male ego. Why then do we also hear the misogynistic refrain that women ‘belong in the kitchen’ if, in a professional context, they’re all but erased from them?
A Woman’s Place is in the Kitchen is a stirring manifesto – drawing back the curtain on restaurant kitchens to show how she is endeavouring to change them for the better. Filled with stories of Michelin-starred food, the relentlessness of kitchens, as well as the hope for the future of the culinary landscape, Sally’s memoir is set to become a classic.
‘Wow. Sally’s book is an insightful, honest account of a young cook’s journey to an inspirational chef‘ ANGELA HARTNETT
‘She doesn’t so much pull back the curtains as yank them away, revealing the plain truth of what it takes to get dinner on to your plate‘ OBSERVER
This is the story of Sally Abé’s rise to become an award-winning chef in the brutal world of restaurant kitchens; how a girl from the midlands who used to cook herself Smash to get by is now one of the most successful fine-dining chefs working today.
It’s a familiar trope: angry men berating each other in kitchens as pots furiously boil, sauces burn and a giant slab of beef rests in the background. The dominant view of a professional kitchen is one of chaos and pent-up fury – a gladiatorial contest of male ego. Why then do we also hear the misogynistic refrain that women ‘belong in the kitchen’ if, in a professional context, they’re all but erased from them?
A Woman’s Place is in the Kitchen is a stirring manifesto – drawing back the curtain on restaurant kitchens to show how she is endeavouring to change them for the better. Filled with stories of Michelin-starred food, the relentlessness of kitchens, as well as the hope for the future of the culinary landscape, Sally’s memoir is set to become a classic.
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Reviews
Fantastic, exciting deep dive into kitchen life from one of Britain's leading young chefs, talking about her experiences and outlining how amazing this industry can be, but also the hard work and dedication it takes to get to the top
Sally really tells it how it is. She is not only someone I look up to but a friend and a complete trailblazer when it comes to being a "woman" in the kitchen. This book will be a go to for those needing that bit of bravery and resilience in a world that needs more people like her
She doesn't so much pull back the curtains as yank them away, revealing the plain truth of what it takes to get dinner on to your plate
Wow. Sally's book is an insightful, honest account of a young cook's journey to an inspirational chef
Sally Abé is lifting the lid on what being a woman in male-dominated, professional kitchens is really like