ABOUT US
We Are The Food Industry Revolution.
Here at Black CHEFS Collective, we aim to champion Black achievement in the wider food industry as well as challenge discriminatory food industry norms and lack of Black representation.
We are an empowerment platform specialising in events, mentoring, workshops and provision of opportunities.
In addition to our food industry initiatives, our passion for empowerment and community work drives us to carry out humanitarian outreach across the globe.
We believe that hospitality is much more than food and drink...it's a mentality and a way of life.
To us, hospitality is showing compassion and empathy, sharing resources, bridging communities and providing memorable uplifting experiences.
We operate in 4 main areas:
s
What does C.H.E.F.S Stand for?
CHEFS is a acronym encompassing various occupations and passions within the food and drink industry.
C - CULINARY
Category C represents occupations within the culinary realm, includiing: bakers, caterers, chefs, cheese makers, chocolatiers, cooks.
H - HOSPITALITY
Category H represents occupations within the hospitality realm, including: baristas, bartenders and mixologists, foodies, food servers, food stalls, oyster shuckers, restaurant managers, restaurant owners, sommeliers.
E - EDUCATION, ENTERPRISE & PRINT
Category E represents occupations within the education and enterprise realm, including: cookery teachers, food bloggers, food critics, food historians, food scholars, food photographers, food stylists, food writers, menu developers, recipe developers.
F - FOOD PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION
Category F represents occupations within the food production realm, including: bee keepers, butchers, farmers, farm managers, fishmongers, food factory workers, foragers, gardeners, herdspersons.
S - SCIENCES, HEALTH & NUTRITION
Category S represents occupations within the sciences and health realm, including: eating disorder therapists, dentists, diet coaches, dieticians, food scientists, health coaches, herbalists, nutritionists.
Our mission is simple: uplift, celebrate, inspire, amplify.
We are the revolution of the food industry and we have arrived.
Fundamentally, Black CHEFS Collective is a community movement purposed to empower Black food & drink creatives/workers/professionals and directly tackle racism and Black erasure within the wider food industry and wider media.
Our core aims within the food and beverage industry are as follows:
- To CELEBRATE Black diaspora culture and all that it encompasses
- To amplify, inspire creativity and nurture ambition amongst Black food & drink creatives/workers/professionals.
- To actively tackle Black erasure and racism within the food & drink industry/wider media through campaigns, research and education.
- To provide opportunities for personal & professional growth and elevation amongst Black food creatives/workers/professionals.
- To instil a sense of positive community spirit amongst Black food creatives/workers/professionals.
Why is instilling a sense of community such an important element of the Black CHEFS Collective mission?
Definition of Community:
The condition of sharing or having certain attitudes and interests in common
- Oxford Dictionary
Studies show that a positive community can have a wealth of benefits for both individuals and the community as whole. When assessing the issue of Black erasure within the food industry we decided to turn to the very subjects that have provided the most measurable insight on human behaviour and motivation - Science and psychology.
Maslow's motivational theory lists 'safety' and 'security' as two basic needs that all humans require. However, our own research has found that when faced with racism, marginalisation and discrimination these needs are often left unmet.
We are now in a digital age which poses the challenge to individuals of being able to simultaneously feel safe and secure not only in reality but also online. To tackle this duality, Black CHEFS Collective is dedicated to creating a strong, uplifting community that orchestrates both physical events and online engagements also.
The following studies and quotes further demonstrate the importance of community:
A strong sense of attachment to ones ethnic group correlate with low levels of depression, high self esteem levels and good grades
- Way, Santos, Niwa and Kim-Garvey (2008)
Internalisation of positive black identity is linked to healthy psychological functioning and high levels of self esteem
- Brook and Pahl (2005)
Minorities have a significant correlation between ethnic identity and positive self esteem
- Phinney (1992)