KUALA LUMPUR – Every March, the annual commemoration of International Women’s Day sparks endless discussion across the F&B industry about representation of women.
Women in the F&B industry have historically been underrepresented. For the hospitality industry, this is always particularly contentious. May it be in roles such as producers, operators, front and back of house, barbacks, sous chefs, pastry chefs, PR and marketing, supply chains, and administration. The gender balance of those working in bars and restaurants is unequal for a variety of reasons, particularly in kitchens. Many women are put off by long hours, difficult working conditions, making a career in hospitality unappealing to many.
What we’d like to address this year is the scarcity of media attention devoted to unsung female heroes, and there is still much room for improvement in this regard. Women play an integral and interesting role in the food industry. There were so many women whose stories have yet to be told. With this in mind, Thirstmag.com (bars) and Set the Tables (restaurants) have joined forces to launch International Women’s Day Drinks. Eats 2023. Let us use this month to honour our female colleagues, to elevate them, and to inspire future generations of women to choose hospitality as a profession.
IWDDE 2023 Outlet Map
For IWDDE 2023, each participating bar, restaurant, or café will feature their female peers and staff, as well as what they are appreciated for. During the month of March, participating establishments will also highlight a drink or dish inspired by their female employees for customers to try.
This map feature outlets that promote equal opportunities and a positive environment for their female staff to grow, they include Foxhole (Penang), Kapitan Haus, Dissolved Solids, Reka:Bar, Triptyk, Joloko, Backdoor Bodega (Penang), Boci, BAC, Ignis, Aposto, LI, ShhhBuuuLeee, Gooddam, WAIG, MyBurger Lab, Bisou, Afloat Coffee Roaster and more.
Johnnie Walker Pop-ups
For 2-nights only, support our local female chefs and bartenders!
Ignis x Yellow Fin Horse IWD Gastrobar Experience
Date: 15 March 2023 (Wednesday)
Time: 7pm onwards (Public)
Venue: Ignis – G-02A, Ground Level, The Sphere, No. 1, Avenue 1, Bangsar South City
Ticket price: RM400 (pre-booking required) Booking: +6012 343 9566
Chef Jun Wong (Yellow Fin Horse, Elyse Hotel, opening in April 2023), pastry chef Ooi Viyern (Ignis), and bartender Chong Wen Shan (Ignis) will collaborate on a 7-course tasting menu for one night only. A preview of Chef Jun’s highly anticipated Yellow Fin Horse menu, Johnnie Walker whisky-paired desserts by next generation pastry chef Viyern and cocktails by bartender Wen Shan will be on the menu.
Chef Jun Wong
A culinary veteran in her own right, having her nose to the grindstone in top restaurants listed in the Michelin guide and the “50 Best” list, Jun brought her honed mastery back to homeland Kuala Lumpur in 2017. Today she continues to instill her philosophy of “respect, restraint and understanding” towards food while elevating KL’s culinary scene.
She helms Yellow Fin Horse, an elemental, open-fire cooking, seafood centric restaurant in Else Kuala Lumpur, leading with strong values towards social responsibility and sustainability that starts in the kitchen.
Tell us what led you to starting your career in the F&B industry?
It was through my internship as a hospitality management student that I had to do placements at various departments in the hotel that I found working in the kitchen to be the most exciting and stimulating.
What do you like the most and the least of your current profession?
I’m often reminded of why I love my job when I handle beautiful ingredients, or when the team smashes a busy night of service and everything was on point, we didn’t miss a beat, or have someone appreciate our efforts, it’s rewarding to know that what we do is worth it.
The kind of dedication and discipline it takes to be in this industry also means working long hours, and I’m not gonna lie that’s not so fun all the time. Especially when it means you have to miss birthdays, Christmas celebrations, etc.
What is a positive work environment for you as a woman in the F&B industry?
Best is just to behave normally and not tolerate “boys will be boys” kind of excuses if a male staff does step out of the line. And if a gal tells you it’s not cool, then it’s not cool. She’s not being “sensitive or emotional”.
What is there, if any, in your opinion that the F&B outlets in Malaysia can improve on when it comes to the welfare of female staff?
The good thing is that we’ve come a long way, and we’re seeing a lot of females break the glass ceiling and take on leadership roles and with that, I believe we actively make changes, be it big or small, to make it a norm, rather than exception, for females to work in the industry. I’d even say we have to be careful not to play too much into the whole female being a novelty thing and take away the credit they deserve for getting to where they are. I think there’s the danger of people thinking we didn’t get the job based on merit.
What is there, if any, in your opinion that the F&B outlets in Malaysia can improve on when it comes to female customer’s safety?
Call it out. Don’t give in to fear of upsetting a male customer if he acted inappropriately towards a female customer. And it becomes inappropriate the moment she feels it’s inappropriate, however small the gesture was.
What is a message you would like to share with other women starting out in the F&B industry this International Women’s Day?
Work hard and stand your ground. And it’s alright not to be tough all the time, women are humans too.
I’d say the same for all F&B people who need to hear this – In fact, we are human, cut yourself some slack if you drop the ball once in a while.
Pastry Chef Ooi Viyern
Viyern is a rising star of our generation. Upon her graduation from Culinary Arts in Switzerland, she seized the first chance to work abroad when the opportunity presented itself. Over the next few years, she traversed from Geneva, Turkey, New York, to Singapore, where she led the pastry section for one-Michelin-starred Saint Pierre before returning home to Kuala Lumpur to join the opening team of Saint Pierre Kuala Lumpur.
Always striving to improve her craft and broaden her horizons, she was instrumental in the opening of Willow KL, W Hotel before taking on her current role as Executive Pastry Chef overseeing brands such as Ignis, The Farm, and more to come.
Tell us what led you to starting your career in the F&B industry?
I frequently found myself watching cooking programmes as a kid growing up, channels like Food Network and Asian Food Channel. I was inspired to pursue a culinary degree by my mum. Ever since then, I have worked in the industry and never looked back.
What do you like the most and the least of your current profession?
I can never go hungry! I love being hands on and working with food and enjoy making food for people. It gives me great satisfaction to see people enjoying my food. What I like least about the profession is the long hours. We don’t have the luxury of meeting friends and family during weekends.
What is a positive work environment for you as a woman in the F&B industry?
The world of food is highly ranked based. Others would comment, “Well, certainly she flirts her way up,” when a woman rose in the ranks. It is degrading.
A positive work environment is when my peers and management take your opinions into consideration and treat women in equal standing.
In fact, I focused on my craft, speak up when necessary and won’t back down. My opinions are taken into account at the job I currently hold. Everyone in this place is treated equally and given rewards based on merit.
What is there, if any, in your opinion that the F&B outlets in Malaysia can improve on when it comes to the welfare of female staff?
Women are still having a hard time finding her place in the industry. If you are tough, people think you are bossy, even your peers. When you speak up, they will point out that you are having mood-swings. As a female in a leading role within the industry, women are deemed bossy if she is too strict, if she is too soft, her subordinates would walk all over her. The work environment would be a better place for women if more respect is given.
What is a message you would like to share with other women starting out in the F&B industry this International Women’s Day?
Be prepared to work twice as hard, but do not give up.
Bartender Chong Wen Shan
Wen Shan studied Culinary Arts in Taiwan before beginning her professional career as a barista at Privé in Singapore. She is drawn to the endless possibilities of crafting drinks after being exposed to them at Privé. She has since decided to hone her bartending skills. She is now the bartender at Ignis.
Tell us what led you to starting your career in the F&B industry?
During my Culinary studies, I find myself not very keen of the kitchen environment – hot (it feels hot and bothered), within a controlled space and surrounded by men. My first exposure to F&B was my internship at Privé in Singapore where I started as a barista. I love it, I love having my own space, not as controlled as working in. a kitchen, and the possibility to create. Privé serves coffee and cocktail, and I discovered myself loving coffee and cocktails.
I want to be interviewed as a bartender but started as Barista for 6 month at The Farm and doubled as the person who makes the drinks from its menu. The team encouraged me to be a full time bartender at Ignis, and here I am.
What do you like the most and the least of your current profession?
What I like most is making cocktails and serving them. The possibility are endless with cocktails and the ability to tweak the recipes on my own. There is no freedom when it comes. to. personal time. I need request leaves to run basic errands like banking and meet friends!
Also, I prefer working on my own. The bar space is the perfect platform for me to have the freedom to “own the space” and create cocktails for my customers.
What is there, if any, in your opinion that the F&B outlets in Malaysia can improve on when it comes to the welfare of female staff?
Other countries allow MC for menstrual pain. Here, our male counterparts do not understand when women apply MC for menstrual pains.
Men needs to stand in our shoes, understand that women health condition are different for everyone. One woman might never have pains in her life, but some would curl up on the floor. Men would deem the ones who takes MC or disappeared for an hour during service weak, even though they did not tell it to our face.
What is there, if any, in your opinion that the F&B outlets in Malaysia can improve on when it comes to female customer’s safety?
Just a reminder for female guests that goes on one-on-one dates with men to know your limits. Or at least notify your friends that you are going out with this guy, just in case something happens. (Kim : we were stuck at How do we as bartender do something about this? Not too sure it is in her place to give a heads up, so this is more of her observation)
What is a message you would like to share with other women starting out in the F&B industry this International Women’s Day?
Compared to years ago, there are opportunities in the industry for you to step up. If you have an interest in pursuing hospitality as a career, I encourage you to take the lead forward, to boldly step into it. Just go for it and step out of your comfort zone. If you don’t like it, just move on, treat it as an experience. There is nothing to lose.
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From left: Chef Julia Ung and Bartender Yap Siew Mun (Kapitan Haus)
Balik Kampung Makan Minum by Chef Julia Ung and Bartender Yap
Expressing her Nyonya heritage, Chef Julia Ung will be incorporating Malaysian flavour in street food style. The 4-course menu comes with Fried Bao with olive leaf and chicken crackling butter, Oyster Lo Bak Gou and Malaysian Grilled Greens, Spicy Lamb Bao and Taucu Ice Cream. Top these all up, are two signature Johnnie Walker Black Label cocktails created by Kapitan Haus very own bartender, Yap Siew Mun.
Date: 16 March 2023 (Thursday)
Time: 7pm onwards (Public)
Venue: Kapitan Haus – 15th Mar – 145, Jalan Petaling, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur
Ticket price: RM150 (pre-booking required) / Ala Carte menu available at limited quantity
Booking: +6012 602 2680
About Chef Julia Ung
Graduated from Culinary Arts & Culinary Management, Chef Julia was classically trained in Lafite, Shangri-la. Her work is greatly influenced by her last chef de cuisine who previously worked in Japan, who emphasised on simple but punchy flavours from ingredients which are meant to shine on their own. She has worked in Deuce, Char Line and Babulan. Currently working on her next project.
Tell us what led you to starting your career in the F&B industry?
Being a Science student that was studying music, initially my career choices were between becoming a music teacher or going into Biotechnology. Upon graduation, I changed my mind again and decided I’d like to become an interior designer and enrolled at an Art college. Somehow everything didn’t seem to resonate with me and I decided to try Biotechnology – that failed in the end. So my family sat me down and forced me to study something.. anything! Eventually, I begrudgingly signed up for a culinary arts course in KDU and to my surprise, cooking was a combination of everything I’d been interested in – art, science and music. I’ve not looked back since.
What do you like the most and the least of your current profession?
I love this profession because it is such an immersive experience that demands passion, eye for detail and constant engagement of all your senses. On the flip side, it is very draining because of those same reasons, because it is this obsessive, almost addicting appeal that takes away time for family, friends and self-care.
What is a positive work environment for you as a woman in the F&B industry?
A positive work environment would mean an equal, neutral ground for everyone, regardless of race, language or gender; a supportive learning environment where everyone can exchange knowledge, ideas and values so we can empower each other and raise standards and respect in/for this industry.
What is there, if any, in your opinion that the F&B outlets in Malaysia can improve on when it comes to the welfare of female staff?
I believe fair durations for paid maternity leave is still not a standardised practice, regardless of industry, and also the support pre- and post- delivery is always subject to the culture that exists in each respective outlet.
What is there, if any, in your opinion that the F&B outlets in Malaysia can improve on when it comes to female customer’s safety?
It would be great to see more training for staff in being observant and proactive in handling harassment by other customers – essentially providing a safe environment for women during their time at the outlet.
What is a message you would like to share with other women starting out in the F&B industry this International Women’s Day?
Always ensure you come in with a mindset of learning and improving yourself each day, but also know your rights and boundaries. This industry requires relentless determination, so build your confidence with a good foundation of knowledge and a willingness to learn and face your mistakes.
About Yap Siew Mun
Yap’s first foray into bartending was in the neighbourhood bar at her hometown Bentong. Having completed her degree in Taiwan, Yap started a career as a bartender at 23 and learned how culture can have influence in the food and beverage scene. Her choice of drink is whisky on-the-rocks or a Jägermeister and while at work, she enjoys fashion and sketching.
In partnership with Johnnie Walker
Johnnie Walker is the world’s number one Scotch Whisky brand (IWSR 2020), enjoyed by people in over 180 countries around the world. Since founder John Walker started in business 200 years ago, those who blend its whiskies have pursued flavour and quality above anything else.
Today’s range of award-winning whiskies includes Johnnie Walker Red Label, Black Label, Double Black, Green Label, Gold Label Reserve, Aged 18 Years and Blue Label. Together they account for over 18 million cases sold annually (IWSR, 2019), making Johnnie Walker the most popular Scotch Whisky brand in the world.
Collaboration with Johnnie Walker
Known as a brand championing inclusivity culture at work place, Johnnie Walker’s two global campaign “First Women” in 2020 and “First Stride” in 2022 were initiated as an effort to focus on supporting female entrepreneurs. “The First Strides initiative focuses the brand’s ambitions to support individuals and organisations within underrepresented communicties,” said Sopie Kelly, senior vide preseidnet of the Diageo North America, which resonates with IWDDE 2023 initiative this year to put the shine on the underrepresented female players in the F&B industry.
The majority of Johnnie Walker’s campaigns promote inclusivity and are committed to consistently providing opportunities for women to succeed in shaping the future of the company. The appointment of Master Blender Emma Walker, the first female master blender in Johnnie Walker’s 200-year history, is a clear example.