People & Culture
The culinary world has historically been a male-dominated space, but these women are breaking down gender barriers and reshaping Canada’s dining culture
Beaming brightly, Malindi Taylor firmly twists her oyster knife, skillfully splitting open an oyster shell in one steady stroke. Then, she detaches the meat inside, placing it perfectly in line with rows of oysters on a table topped with crushed ice. Beside her, Megan Côté, a student at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts (PICA), does the same. She looks at Malindi confidently and receives a nod of approval, Taylor’s smile never leaving her face.
Around me, I see more of the same–pairs of women dressed in matching white chef coats, mentors and mentees working side-by-side to prepare and present small plates. Guests like myself are crowded around the more than 20 food and beverage tasting stations, cheering on the chef teams, gushing over the tasty goodies and swaying to and fro to the music that fills the room. I’m at Vancouver’s annual Yes Shef! event, which unites leading female-identifying chefs, sommeliers, and bar professionals through mentorship and fundraising. Hosted by WORTH Association, the event focuses on inspiring, supporting, and advancing women in the hospitality industry through education, mentorship, and recognition.
The culinary industry has long been male-dominated, with only 24 per cent of senior roles like head chefs occupied by women in B.C. According to Tourism HR Canada, there are 10,000 fewer women working in the food and beverage industry in the province compared to pre-pandemic times. Meanwhile, the number of men working in the industry has increased substantially. On Vancouver’s latest Michelin list, only one female-identifying chef, Andrea Carlson of Burdock & Co., is featured. There’s a long way to go for gender equality in this space, but five women in B.C. are forging the way for future generations. Below, they share the meaning behind their mentorship and the programs and initiatives they have created to encourage more women to follow in their footsteps.
Growing up, Malindi Taylor spent her early years tottling around the tidal flats of her family’s oyster farm on Totten Inlet in Puget Sound, in Washington. From a young age, she was immersed in shellfish farming, working as a clam digger at 14 and eventually running the marketing and direct-to-chef programs for Fanny Bay Oysters, her family’s Michelin-recommended business. Despite growing up surrounded by strong female farmers and shuckers, Taylor realized the reality of the male-dominated industry after opening Vancouver’s Fanny Bay Oyster Bar & Shellfish Market in 2016. Facing gender bias, she found strength through female mentors and childhood idols, like shucking champion Xihn Dwelley. Inspired, she co-founded Girls That Shuck with her cousin Jada, an online community supporting women in the oyster trade, partnering with groups like Minorities in Aquaculture and Mother Nation. “Shellfish bring people together,” says Taylor, and through her program, she hopes that more women will find their place in the shucking community too.
She may have started as a self-taught chef, but Meeru Dhalwala quickly climbed the culinary ladder thanks to her passion for the craft and her local community in the Main Street neighbourhood of Vancouver. She co-founded Vancouver’s Vij’s, a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant celebrated for its innovative Indian cuisine. She authored Vij’s cookbooks, judged on Food Network’s Wall of Chefs, and received the 2024 Restaurants Canada Award for Culinary Excellence. Partnering with Shira Blustein of Michelin-recommended The Acorn, Dhalwala co-launched Lila Restaurant in May 2024. The family-style menu features traditional Indian dishes like curry and samosas, as well as seafood-based plates, including Pacific prawns, Arctic char, and wild sockeye salmon. The chef-driven, seasonal menus welcome everyone from families to date-night diners in the cozy yet vibrant eatery.
Passionate about food accessibility, Dhalwala founded My Bambiri during the pandemic, a pay-what-you-can organic baby food brand with plans to expand to toddler foods. At Lila, she and Blustein empower women, employing Ethiopian and Eritrean refugee women and women from Bhutan, India and Ukraine. Their commitment to community and culinary excellence continues to shape Vancouver’s vibrant food scene even beyond their innovative restaurant, and working with PICA student Sydney Noble at this year’s Yes Shef event perfectly aligned with their purpose.
Born just outside of Beijing, Ying Gao’s culinary journey began at family gatherings hosted by her grandmother. Witnessing the power of connection through cuisine and the happiness a shared meal brought her family, Chef Gao instantly fell in love with the food industry. Months after her birth, her mother opened a restaurant and much of her childhood was spent within those restaurant walls. In 2016, Chef Gao ventured to Vancouver, where she worked for some of the city’s top restaurants, including Blue Water Cafe and CinCin. In 2018, she played a pivotal role in the opening of Elisa restaurant as Sous Chef. Now, Chef Gao has stepped into a leadership role as Executive Chef for Araxi Restaurant + Oyster Bar–the first woman to bear this title at the award-winning Whistler eatery. On working with PICA student Reine Edejer at the Yes Shef event, Chef Gao shares, “I want my mentee to understand that cooking is about more than just technique. It’s about heart, creativity, and connecting with others. I hope to share the importance of staying true to oneself, embracing every learning opportunity, and finding joy in the journey, not just the destination.”
From a sailboat in the Great Barrier Reef to a lodge in B.C.’s Haida Gwaii to the rugged peaks of Yoho National Park, avid forager Tasha Sawyer has mastered the art of cooking with fresh ingredients in extraordinary settings. Recognizing the importance of healthy eating for the next generation, Chef Sawyer took on the role as Chef-in-Residence for LunchLAB at Growing Chefs. In this school-based program, kids learn how to grow gardens and cook healthy meals in a group setting. The program focuses on edible education lessons where students learn about concepts like food waste, food marketing, sustainability, and celebratory foods, and they make healthy hot lunches to share with their peers. Like WORTH, Chef Sawyer strives to showcase the many facets of the food industry. Working with her student mentee, Martine Argent, Chef Sawyer hopes to show the many opportunities that come with a career in food, which can go far beyond the confines of a restaurant kitchen.
Tia Kambas started as a dishwasher in Chambar Restaurant’s kitchen when it opened in 2004, a spot that is now one of Vancouver’s most celebrated restaurants. Guided by her mentor and friend, Chef Nico Schuermans, she rose through the ranks, becoming Executive Chef in 2014 and now serving as Director of Operations. Her passion extends beyond Chambar’s celebrated Belgian-Moroccan cuisine—she’s a champion for women in hospitality, too; she co-created the Yes Shef event as one of the earliest members of WORTH Association to inspire future female chefs. Though her current role focuses on operations, Chef Kambas finds joy in mentoring the next generation, offering guidance and encouragement to women who are pursuing culinary careers. Her story reflects the “Chambar Effect,” a term coined by Scout Magazine, referring to the profound impact that Chambar has had on Vancouver’s culinary and hospitality scene. Chambar has become a launchpad for talent, fostering and mentoring individuals who have gone on to become leaders in the industry. Many former Chambar employees have opened their successful restaurants, taken on high-profile roles in hospitality, or become influential in shaping the city’s dining culture. When asked why Yes Shef was an important initiative for her, Kambas replied, “Because if we don’t do it, who will?”
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