The event was the brainchild of chairman Matt Owens and Guild Wellbeing Ambassador Andy Aston, and included speakers from Fair Kitchens, Kelly’s Cause Foundation, Beyond Food Foundation and Burnt Chef.

Matt Owens said: “It was fantastic to bring together this dynamic and group of people. It was truly exciting to see how much progress has been made in the mental health space for chefs. Whilst there’s no doubt there is still a lot more to be done, it's brilliant to be able to signpost chefs to these great organisations so that every chef can have access to resources for good mental health.”

Andy Aston opened the event by sharing his personal experiences of lockdown and the Matt Owens followed with a passionate message about the importance of good mental health.

Then Alex Hall and Lisa Riley from Fair Kitchens explained how the initiative started, and how it had grown. Alex said the movement was ‘primarily driven by social media’ and aimed for ‘the betterment of the industry and helping to drive the industry forward’.

Lisa added: “Fair Kitchens is about chef to chef and human to human interaction. It’s about making the working environment of hospitality better.”

The Craft Guild endorses Fair Kitchens leadership training programme, which consists of six detailed modules.

Rachel Kerr-Lapsley from Kelly’s Cause Foundation highlighted their research that 81% of chefs will struggle with mental health at some point in their career, and that overall mental health costs the UK economy £105bn a year. Kelly’s Cause is helping deliver mental health first aid training to chefs and has to date trained 500.

Simon Boyle from Beyond Food Foundation and the Brigade Bar and Kitchen in London Bridge shared his experience of supporting homeless people through food.

“We’re a true social enterprise, supporting vulnerable people who are either homeless or on the edge of homelessness. I believe food is a powerful tool, and you can change people’s lives with it. Whether that’s ensuring they are eating the right food for themselves, or by using it as a means to earn money and become self-sufficient.”

His training programme includes modules such as, Fresh Life, Stuck In, and Made Again; to date they have worked with 6,000 homeless people and created 149 apprenticeships at the Brigade Bar and Kitchen.

Kris Hall of Burnt Chef said his group had delivered training to 9,000 people with a focus on mental health and leadership because their research found nearly half of chefs felt uncomfortable talking about their mental health.

Finally Anthony, a Burnt Chef ambassador, shared his struggle with depression and his efforts to overcome it.

Attendees were served delicious dishes of lamb from Alliance NZ cooked by Matt Owens and the Craft Guild wellbeing ambassador committee.

Andy Aston shares his thoughts during Mental Health Awareness Week: