The pledge was launched during a panel discussion titled ‘On a Knife’s Edge: Why Women’s Futures in Hospitality Matter’, held on the Vision Stage at the show.

The session brought together leading industry voices including chef, author and restaurateur Sally Abé, who last year united 70 women chefs to co-sign an open letter addressing gender equality and representation in professional kitchens.

The letter and the experiences shared by women across the industry helped spark a wider, constructive conversation around workplace culture and career opportunities, ultimately leading to the creation of the pledge.

Also on the panel was head of culinary at Compass Group Gemma Evans-Hurley, chief people officer at Ottolenghi Group Odette Schwartz, and chief executive of Hawksmoor Will Beckett. The discussion was led by hospitality entrepreneur Justine Murphy.

Together, the panel explored how the industry can continue to evolve, sharing perspectives on building positive workplace cultures, supporting talent at every level, and creating environments where more people can succeed and progress.

The pledge calls on hospitality leaders to commit to practical, measurable actions that support workplace culture, career development and increased representation of women across the sector.

Abé said: “Less than 5% of head chefs are women. To make change, we have to call out exactly what’s wrong, we have to make people aware, especially because so much of this comes down to unconscious bias.

“Things like the 10-point pledge, or the writing that open letter can actually make people stop and think: ‘Hang on a second - I’ve done that,’ or ‘I’ve noticed that,’ or ‘I’ve seen sexism in the kitchen.’ And it encourages them to feel prepared to speak up about it.”

The Hospitality Industry Ten-Point Pledge:

• Zero tolerance on harassment, bullying and discrimination
• Fair pay and equal promotion pathways
• Safe, respectful and properly managed workplaces
• Supporting flexible ways of working wherever possible
• Supporting pregnancy, parenthood and return-to-work transitions
• Increasing awareness around women’s health, from menopause to mental wellbeing
• Active mentorship, sponsorship and leadership development
• Inclusive recruitment and unbiased progression
• Funded training, skills development and confidence-building
• Driving sustained progress in the representation of women in head chef and senior kitchen leadership roles

Hospitality businesses wishing to see and sign the pledge can register their support at https://www.hrc.co.uk/knife-edge-pledge-page.