CEOs, Head chefs and sommeliers: The power women behind Sydney’s food scene
Women make up half the the food and beverage industry workforce, but are severely under-represented at leadership levels. Meet the women leading the way to change that.
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Derived from the Latin word meaning host, “hospitality” refers to the relationship between a host and guest, which is one of goodwill and welcome.
But Australia’s hospitality industry doesn’t appear to welcome its female workers with as much goodwill as it should.
According to the Fe4deral government’s recent employee gender pay gap statistics, despite women making up 51 per cent of the workforce as a whole, 89 per cent of the CEOS in the Food and Beverage industry are male.
That’s higher than average workplace composition, where 78 per cent of CEOs are male, and 64 per cent of the key management positions are held by men.
In hospitality, when it comes to a seat at the table of a board, only 20 per cent are female — compared to the overall average of 31 per cent. And only 10 per cent of hospitality companies have a target to increase their female representation.
Meaning while the industry is evenly split between men and women, it’s still men who hold the power.
Julia Campbell, the founder and chair of not-for-profit Women in Hospitality — which offers mentorships for women in hospitality — says the statistics are a “pretty big problem.”
Lisa Hobbs is one of few female CEO’s in the industry, and was also a founding board member of Women in Hospitality.
She leads hospitality group Etymon Projects, part of the Aqualand group, which has total of five venues with 160 staff with another six to open in six months.
In a case of you cannot be what you cannot see, Hobbs, a former investment banker, said the lack of women in leadership roles means less women are attracted to the hospitality industry.
“There are not enough role models in leadership to create confidence in women and for women,” she said.
“It’s hard to be the first, or to be the minority. And that is what women still are at senior levels in hospitality.
This International Women’s Day, The Daily Telegraph pays tribute and celebrates the influential women who are being — and leading — so others can see.
DANIELLE ALVAREZ
Culinary Director of The Sydney Opera House
The Florida-born Alvarez has become one of this country’s finest chefs, sitting among names like Guillaume Brahimi, Peter Gilmore, Matt Moran Mark Olive and Karen Martini as all having worked at Australia’s most iconic venue: Sydney Opera House.
Alvarez became Culinary Director of The Sydney Opera House in September, 18 months after leaving Merivale’s Fred’s, which she turned into an acclaimed restaurant.
To support other women in the industry, Alvarez herself is hosting an IWD dinner in the Yallamundi Rooms with trailblazing female winemakers to help raise money for not-for-profit charity Women and Revolution which exists to overcome the barriers of gender equality in the wine world and connects women across the industry through its coaching and education platforms.
ANNETTE LACEY
MW- Solotel
Only 417 people in the world who can call themselves Masters of Wine. Annette Lacey, from hospitality group Solotel, is one of them.
In 2022, Lacey was inducted into London’s prestigious Institute of Masters of Wine (MW) — the pinnacle of wine knowledge and education in the world. To become inducted, participants must do countless blind tastings, take rigorous exams and submit 10,000-word research papers.
Lacey was the only Australian of 17 inducted at the ceremony and is only the eighth Australian woman to hold the honour. “I feel proud to be female in a tradition dominated by men,” Lacey said.
In her role at Solotel, Lacey devises the wine list at pubs, which includes venues like The Clock at Surry Hills, Double Bay’s The Golden Sheaf and Parramatta’s Albion Hotel.
JACQUI CHALLINOR
Executive Chef at Nomad Group
In October 2023, Surry Hills’ Nomad restaurant celebrated its 10 year anniversary. For the past decade, this restaurant, run by Challinor, and it’s soft chewy flatbreads, house-made cheese and charcuterie and Mediterranean fare has been at the forefront of Sydney’s dining scene. The Executive Chef started her career at Merivale before opening Nomad (which is owned by husband and wife team Al and Rebecca Yazbek.) Since then, she’s taken the brand, as well as a wine bar Reine & La Rue, to Melbourne. In 2023 she also opened Beau in Sydney, which combines a casual all-day eatery specialising in Middle Eastern manoush flatbread with a wine bar.
CIARA DORAN
Owner of group Heritage House Co
In April 2023, former events and HR executive-turned-bar operator Ciara Doran bought out her co-owners and took complete ownership of her two successful bars in The Rocks, The Doss House and Frank Macs. Not coming from a big hospitality group, Doran’s path into the industry hasn’t been easy but that hasn’t stopped her. “I definitely felt I’ve had to prove myself more than anyone else,” she said. “I started a small whiskey bar in a place filled with iconic big pubs. And here in The Rocks I don’t know another female bar owner. But the community have welcomed me in.” Now after the success of the two venues – Frank Mac’s recently hosted a surprise gig with global superstar Dermot Kennedy which saw fans snaked through The Rocks – Doran has her sights on other heritage sites to turn into venues.
THE WOMEN BEHIND POETICA
CEO Lisa Hobbs, Venue Manager Angela Gallo and Head Sommelier Samantha Belt
North Sydney bar and grill Poetica was one of the most successful restaurant launches of 2023, and behind its success are three extraordinary women.
Lisa Hobbs is the CEO of Etymon Projects, the group responsible for Poetica as well as venues like Loulou and The Charles.
Hobbs is a former investment banker who switched to hospitality, first as head of the Dedes Group before joining Etymon (which is part of the Aqualand Group) in 2020.
As a director of Women in Hospitality, Hobbs says more women in leadership roles are needed to encourage more women to join the industry.
It’s no surprise, then, that women lead one of Hobbs’ new ventures.
With more than 20 years of experience at restaurants like Totti’s Bondi, Mr Wong, Icebergs Dining Room & Bar, as well as opening her own cafe and catering company, Angela Gallo is Poetica’s restaurant manager.
Gallo said the industry’s late night and weekend hour can be a challenge for anyone, but especially those who have a small family. And she says there’s a stereotype that women — who are a plenty in mid level roles — don’t have what it takes to lead.
“There seems to be a view that a woman might not handle difficult or confrontational situations as well as a man. My personal experience has been that women can often help to diffuse a situation quite well,” she said.
Samantha Bett, who began working as a sommelier 11 years ago at Gowings, said visibility is the biggest issue facing women in the industry.
“There is still an element of surprise among some diners when they see a female sommelier, let alone find out that I’m the head sommelier,” she said.
“It’s an unconscious bias among both men and women, which even I had before I became a sommelier. More women in these roles goes a long way to fixing it, normalising it.”
SABRINA MEDCALF
Group Operations and Entertainment at Odd Culture Group
Medcalf knows what draws a crowd.
As Entertainment Manager of new Newtown bar The Pleasure Club, she’s responsible for devising an eclectic roster of live music that will surprise and delight patrons.
All which was achieved within three hours of opening night, with crowds queuing around the corner to get into the basement club.
Before joining Odd Culture, Medcalf did a five-year stint at the now closed — but always beloved — Frankies in the CBD.
Medcalf, who studied film in New York before discovering her love of hospitality, believes in the power of mentors.
“There is air or politeness that runs through women. I’m quite an assertive and confident woman and I see it myself. Women won’t speak up because they are being polite, so I see it as my job to speak up for them,” she says, adding that doesn’t just apply to her staff but to her guests as well.
“In my position you’re in charge of people’s livelihoods. Whether that’s my team or guests and whether that refers to their career, mental health, confidence or experience of a night out. I keep that in mind always because it’s an incredible thing to be able to do.”
Medcalf hasn’t let her gender stop her: “I beat to my own drum and, but it’s a loud drum which drowns out the undesirables.”
JAN MCKENZIE AND SARAHJANE BROWN
Cafe Sydney CEO and Executive Chef
Cafe Sydney, the restaurant on top of Customs House, will celebrate 25 years in operation this year as being arguably one of Sydney’s most iconic venues. At the helm of the restaurant is CEO Jan McKenzie and Executive Chef Sarahjane Brown (of Le Gavroche), who replaced veteran chef James Kidman in 2022. At the time, McKenzie told The Daily Telegraph that Brown’s appointment brought with it an added bonus that helped them counter the staff drought the industry faced during Covid. More women were applying to work at a venue led by women.
CLARE SMYTH
Owner, Oncore
The world’s only female chef to hold three Michelin stars and three Hats wants to see more women in the kitchen, and not in a traditional way.
Clare Smyth, of Crown Sydney’s Oncore, is only the second chef in history to score the accolade, behind the late Paul Bocuse.
“There are more (women) coming through,” Smyth said ahead of International Women’s Day.
on Friday.
“Sometimes I think women need that little bit more encouragement than men. In my experience, they are less likely to step forward as soon. Women tend to really know their thing well before they’ve got the confidence to step forward.”
Smyth’s staff make-up is roughly 50/50 in terms of gender, but that’s not the case in all professional kitchens.
“It is about nurturing the talent and I think when there is more women in a kitchen and they see other women doing it, it is more encouraging,” she said.
“In my kitchens I am very lucky because I have a good balance and actually it makes a way better working environment for everybody.”
Smyth is based in London, where she has her fine dining restaurant, Core, and visits Sydney several times a year.
Smyth famously catered at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s 2018 wedding.
The 45-year-old worked under Gordon Ramsay from 2012 to 2016 and has appeared on TV shows including MasterChef.
ALLIE WEBB
Artist
If you’ve ever stepped foot inside a Swillhouse venue (which you probably have considering they are among the most popular in the city and include Hubert, Alberto’s Lounge and the newly opened The Caterpillar Club) you will notice it has a certain aesthetic.
That is in part down to Webb. The acclaimed artist is integral part to the group’s vision for the venues (where she works alongside husband and Swillhouse co-owner Anton Forte) as well as is the art director of Swillhouse Magazine.
“Working with restaurants and bars, I’m so submerged in hospitality, there is no escaping it coming out in my work. Sitting back and watching people interact with each other and their food is how I draw a lot of inspiration,” she has said.
SOPHIA BERNECKI
Owner, Allan Grammar
Penrith can thank trailblazing Sophia Bernecki for delivering a dose of cosmopolitan culture to its CBD when she opened Allan Grammar in 2018.
The classy boutique bar, nestled in an arcade off Penrith’s main street, brought to life the vision of Mulgoa-raised Bernecki and her then-husband Aaron to serve cocktails and dishes that used to require a 50km trip into the city to sample.
It further cemented Bernecki’s presence as a deft operator in a male-dominated industry.
The chef honed her skills at hatted establishments including Restaurant Como in the Blue Mountains.
She co-founded Henri Marc’s cafe in Penrith and, just as that transformed the brunch scene away from traditional English breakfasts, so too did Allan Grammar change the way locals enjoyed a tipple.
ALISON AVRON
Founder of The Great Club
The Foo Fighters’ Chris Shiflett, Tim Rogers and Mahalia Barnes have all been hosted at Avron’s live music venue in Marrickville.
Avron, is one of very few female operators of music venues (Beau Neilson at Phoenix Central Park is another notable example), and her time at the helm of the historic Marrickville club has been met with a lot of opposition.
Despite the club being in existence since 1952, she’s spent years and more than $20,000 in legal fees fighting noise complaints from NIMBY (Not in My Back Yard.) neighbours threatening to shut her down.
“I’ve spent 15 years dedicating my life to the live music industry. I’m probably the only female live music venue owner in Sydney, so if I give up, what message does that send to young women wanting to have a crack at a leadership role in the hospo or music industry?” she said.
Avron has been granted a new liquor licence which reflects that the club puts on more than 200 gigs a year.
“I feel very privileged to be one of the few women running a live music venue,” she said.
“We have a different way of running the show to men which is necessary for a well-rounded community.”
SARAH PROIETTI
Head of People & Culture at Maybe Sammy
In Paris in 2023, Sydney’s Maybe Sammy was named the #1 most influential bar in the world. Originally from Italy, bartender Proietti has been at Maybe Sammy since 2020 and is part of the fabric of the bar.
She’s worked her way to up to become Venue Manager and Head of People and Culture, and in 2022 she was named Bartender of the Year at the Australian Liquor Industry Awards. “Choosing a career in the bar industry can be a daunting decision for many women, influenced by challenges such as the difficulty of balancing this profession with motherhood and family plans, the perceived notion of being a sex symbol, experiences of male harassment, and prevailing gender stereotypes,” she said.
“Overcoming these entrenched stereotypes is a significant challenge.
“Unequal opportunities persist for women in the industry but, despite these challenges, the bar scene is evolving.
“Women are increasingly finding opportunities to make their mark. Persistence, skill development, and networking are key.”
INDEPENDENT OPERATORS
Michelle Grand-Milkovic, love.fish; Baci Moore, Bistro Rex; Giulia Treuner, Giuls
More and more female operators are taking the lack of leadership representation in the industry into their own hands by doing just that: leading.
Michelle Grand-Milkovic is the co-founder of Love. Fish, which started as a small 50-seat restaurant in Rozelle in 2010, and has become a destination restaurant at Barangaroo for 175. Grand-Milkovic said women are underestimated in the industry, most often by themselves. “Leadership traits are often defined in a masculine terms, but women bring much needed diversity, balance, and growth,” she said.
“I feel there is an expectation for women in lead roles to be warm, nice, and engaging, and I am absolutely those things, but I am also strong, bold and decisive.
“Running an independent venue is challenging, thrilling and at times incredibly lonely. Without the leadership support of a larger hospitality group, solo operators must wear many hats. I found I needed to seek out other women both in hospitality and in other industries through networking groups, for advice, inspiration, and creativity.”
Moore began at the famed Tetsuya’s working as a sommelier and waiter before she moved into management before she went to open Spice Temple with Neil Perry then Potts Point’s Bistro Rex on her own.
Treuner launched Sisters Hospitality and opened two venues, Giuls and Harry’s by Giuls, after leaving her job as area manager for Rockpool Dining Group. ““I started the journey to launch my own, female-led hospitality group because I believe in the power of diversity and the unique perspective that women bring to the table. By creating a space where women lead, innovate, and inspire, we not only redefine hospitality but also pave the way for a more inclusive and empowering industry,” she said.
PASTRY QUEENS
Anna Polyviou, Rhiann Mead, Carley Scheidegger
Former physiotherapy student turned pastry chef and chocolatier Mead believes because there is the stereotype that women like to make cakes there has been no barriers to her career in hospitality. However, stereotypes aside, there are a host of females at the top of the dessert game including names like Anna Polyviou and Mead who worked at Peter Gilmore at Bennelong before joining The Charles Grand Brasserie.
Meanwhile, Originally from the UK, Carley Scheidegger worked at Yotam Ottolenghi’s restaurants before coming to Australia and working underneath the so-called croissant queen Kate Reid at Lune Croissanterie. Now she’s the Head Pastry Chef at Merivale’s Freds.
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