TOP women chefs are hard to come by in the male-dominated world of professional kitchens. So this year's World Gourmet Summit (WGS) is a coup of sorts, with three first-rate women chefs cooking at the event.
Headlining the annual three-week-long gastronomic affair is France's first female three-Michelin-star chef in 50 years, Anne-Sophie Pic of Maison Pic.
Likewise, Luk Chui Lee, the first woman chef to win the coveted three-hats rating by the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide in a decade, will be dazzling diners here with dishes from her eatery, Claude's, in Sydney.
Joining them is Antonella Rici, the one-Michelin-star chef of Al Fornello da Ricci in Puglia, Italy. All three chefs will be cooking and offering culinary masterclasses at the event.
Indeed, women chefs have not featured prominently in the 12-year history of the WGS. Occasional exceptions include Patricia Yeo, former executive chef of Asian-fusion restaurant AZ in New York, and Zhang Jin Jie of Green T House in China.
However, Mr Francis Poulose, managing director of Peter Knipp Holdings which organises the summit, says the stronger presence of women this year was not intentional. 'Opportunities to collaborate with these female chefs came up naturally and everything just fell into place nicely,' says the 40-year-old.
This happy coincidence plays out further since both chefs Pic and Luk are 38 years old, specialise in modern French cuisine and were trained in other professions before entering the kitchen.
