Abuse in Kitchens - What Century Is It?

The Industry We Inherited - and the One We Must Change

From being in a professional kitchen at the age of 15, I’ve seen it, lived it, and felt it.

The bully head chef.

The shouting.

The aggression.

The idea that the kitchen was some sort of rock and roll lifestyle, and the head chef owned you.

Back then it was almost normalised.

Verbal abuse.

Being screamed at across the pass.

Shifts taken away if you weren’t on the “good side.”

Bonuses and shifts removed, being taken out of the circle.

Bruises from things being thrown.

Punches.

Kicks.

You name it - I saw it.

In the 1990s, this culture was exploding alongside something else: the rise of the “celebrity chef.”

When Pressure Becomes an Excuse

Fine dining kitchens are high-pressure environments. They always have been.

Luxury restaurants demand precision.

They demand consistency.

They demand relentless standards.

But somewhere along the way, an idea took hold:

That the only way to lead a high-pressure, elite kitchen was through fear.

If you were tough, aggressive, intimidating - you were respected.

If you shouted loud enough, people moved faster.

And if you bullied hard enough, you got results.

For a long time, many chefs coming through the ranks simply believed:

“This is the only way.”

Because when that’s all you see, it becomes the blueprint.

Thirty Years Later… The Stories Are Still Coming Out

Fast forward 30 years.

Recently, chefs who worked under 3 Michelin star Chef, the iconic chef behind world famous Denmark venue, came forward describing experiences of aggressive and damaging behaviour in the kitchen.

A chef widely regarded as one of the most influential culinary figures of the modern era.

And the stories are familiar.

Junior chefs describing environments that were:

• Intimidating

• Aggressive, often simply violent

• Verbally damaging

• Emotionally exhausting

For anyone who has spent serious time in kitchens, these stories aren’t shocking.

They’re recognisable.

I Still Hear These Stories Today

As someone who now speaks to chefs across the country every week through The Chef Hub, I hear these stories constantly.

They come out during recruitment conversations.

They come out during interviews.

They come out quietly, often after a pause.

A chef explains why they left a job.

And then comes the story.

A head chef who ruled by humiliation.

A kitchen where shouting was daily currency.

A workplace where mental health simply didn’t exist as a conversation.

And the shocking part?

These are not always anonymous operations.

These are household names.

I was told in December of a CDP, given a competition awarded placement, for a large group of which this Chef was menu lead/face of, of which he would poor the sauce ready to serve on the pass, if another meal was not ready, over the head of the chef that was not on time.

He of course was looking for a role to leave this group, and Chef of course.

Ive heard podcast where a chef being late (doing 90 hour weeks) was walked like a dog, on hands an knees down a high street to another neighbouring restaurant, to be paraded as incapable of time keeping, and made to sit on all fours in the neighbouring venue.

Restaurants you’ve heard of.

Chefs you’ve seen on TV.

People with their own shows, books, and glossy series showing you how wonderful somewhere like Dubai is, or cooking luxury dishes on a Saturday morning programme.

Yet behind the scenes, some kitchens have been a very different story.

The Industry’s Uncomfortable Double Standard

Here’s a question the hospitality industry needs to ask itself.

In recent years, we’ve seen public figures cancelled for comments (Not even actions proven) made 20 years ago.

One tweet.

One poorly judged comment, in a very different time, and environment.

And careers can disappear overnight.

Yet some chefs who have built reputations on years of intimidation and abuse continue to appear on television, sell books, and maintain public platforms.

Why?

Why are some behaviours instantly unacceptable…

while others appear to have a strange kind of immunity?

Why are some chefs treated like a Teflon Don, where nothing seems to stick?

If the industry is serious about change, the conversation can’t stop at social media mistakes.

It has to include workplace culture.

The Mental Health Cost

Over the past five/ten years, conversations around mental health in hospitality have finally started to gain the attention they deserve.

The statistics paint a worrying picture.

Long hours.

High pressure.

Low margins.

Unstable work patterns.

And when you add toxic leadership to that mix, the consequences can be devastating.

Burnout.

Anxiety.

Depression.

People leaving the industry entirely.

Some of the most talented chefs I’ve spoken to didn’t leave because they couldn’t cook.

They left because they were not prepared to accept the culture.

The Industry Is Changing - Slowly...

The good news is that many kitchens today look very different to those of the 1990s.

The best chefs understand something powerful:

You can run a disciplined kitchen without destroying people.

Leadership is not about fear.

It’s about standards, clarity, structure, and respect.

The best modern kitchens run with:

• Clear systems

• Structured services

• Supportive leadership

• Accountability without humiliation

• Transparent / affiliated with the right groups, such as The Burnt Chef Project

Because when chefs feel safe and respected, they perform better. The concern is how long does it take to see FULL change? In my opinion, it has taken the generation of chefs to get it to this position, it will take a full generation to see it through, in some instances, so be the change you want from the industry - its not for anyone or everyone else to solve, so show it when you show up.

It’s not weakness.

It’s good leadership.

Organisations Doing the Work

One organisation doing incredible work in this space is The Burnt Chef Project.

Their mission is simple but vital:

to raise awareness of mental health challenges within hospitality and provide support and signposting to those who need it.

They offer education, resources, and support services specifically designed for people working in kitchens, restaurants, and hospitality environments.

In an industry that historically told people to “toughen up,” that kind of support matters more than ever.

If you’re struggling, or know someone who is, their work is well worth exploring.

With an industry first, text support service - of which ive jumped out of a plane at 15,000 feet to start - with a less than 60 second response time 85258 was launched to support this industry for any struggle faced, its there for a reason.

The Kitchens We Build Next

The hospitality industry is built on passion, not to be confused with ego over aggression

People don’t enter kitchens because it’s easy.

They enter because they love it.

But loving the craft should never mean accepting abuse.

The next generation of chefs deserve better than the culture many of us came through.

They deserve kitchens where:

• Standards are high

• Pressure exists

• Excellence is demanded

…but respect is non-negotiable.

Because great food should never come at the cost of the people cooking it. EVER

The Chef Hub exists to support kitchens, chefs, and hospitality businesses in building stronger teams and healthier cultures.