Miss. Bindu Shrestha, a women chef currently working at Aloft inspires us to grab opportunities, embrace whatever life has got for us, and strongly stand still.

I am Bindu Shrestha working as a chef at Aloft Restaurant in the continental Kitchen. My residence is Bhaktapur, Madhyapur Thimi. After schooling, I joined +2 in Hotel Management and got a bachelor’s degree in BHM (Bachelor in Hotel Management) from Ritz College of Engineering and Management.

After my Bachelor’s degree, abroad studies were not my luck no matter how much I wanted. So, I started a job hunt wandering places, dropping off the CV, and waiting to get called upon. I couldn’t get a job! The chef field always rejected women back then. I ended up teaching at Ritz college for a diploma and then got a job offer as a trainee (as fermentist) at Soaltee Hotel.

 I took both work side by side. I used to leave home at 7 am, reach college by 8 am, and rush for another job at soaltee from 12 pm to 10 pm. Taking both jobs at a time meant a very tight schedule where I would get home by 11 0r 11:30 PM. After one and half years working with Soaltee, I found a vacancy at Aloft. So, here I am working as a full-time women chef.

 

Inspiration

Ok, actually I was inspired by my mother. As I belong to a Newar community, my mother would prepare feasts and delicacies which indirectly or directly inspired me to dream about becoming a chef. During the internship period, amongst so many options like housekeeping, Front Office, and Food and Beverage Service department, I remember choosing to work in the kitchen for 3 months. I think the willingness and passion that I have for cooking take credit for the “full-time chef” that I am today at Aloft.

 

Cooking Competition Experience

(Smiles) It was a cooking competition held by GNCF (Global Nepalese Chef Federation) in which many chefs had participated from various hotels. Similarly, two chefs had to participate from Aloft as well. I am grateful to have gotten the opportunity to participate and meet talented chefs from various hotels. The chance to meet the chef, Mr. Santosh Shah, fills me with so much gratitude. The 1st runner-up position only elevated my spirit to keep working and pushing myself more into what I love doing.

 

Dealing safety risk

Let me tell you about my experience. In the hotels where I have worked, some of them have the facility of dropping their staff home on a bus along with a security guard, especially those working the night shift. I think this is a great way to reduce the risk of the unfortunate cases of female staff. Additionally, I think family support does play a major role, especially with women chefs having to work up till late at night. I share a very comprehensive equation with my family which has helped me a lot to progress professionally.

 

A balance between Motherhood and Work life

I got married in 2020 and now I’m blessed with a little baby girl. It is indeed challenging, and laborious to take both on the same track. To be a working mother is not limited to her home, kids, and family but various aspects. For me, completing all the house chores in the morning and rushing to work for 8 to 9 hours do threaten me a lot of time. I remember working for 17 hours continuously but now that I am a mother, things have changed. I am responsible for maintaining the balance between motherhood and work life, so 8 hours shift a day has been easier with a few more chefs hired. The most crucial thing is to have support from colleagues, seniors, family, and of course my husband. When I’m at work, my family looks after the baby. Working wouldn’t be possible without them.

 

Challenges after marriage and motherhood

The biggest challenge has to be leaving my child at home and getting back to work. Breastfeeding was another challenge. But I think, I am lucky to have a family that encourages me to continue my work life. I think it was more challenging to enter the profession as female chefs were not accepted and believed to work as a chef. Today, women chefs are appreciated and women have come a long way proving themselves capable and now given equal chances. Marriage and motherhood have only made me stronger except for the concern of not having much time to give my daughter.

 

Guilt as a working mother

Not really. Perhaps the fact that I have my family to look after the baby, the guilt has not made its way. There are times I can’t help but miss my daughter during the working shift. As soon as I get some free time, I call my mother-in-law and talk to them.

 

Low women chef ratio

(Giggles), I would not say there are no women chefs today. Yes, if I am to talk go back to 2014 when I started, “no women chef” was true. I would meet women trainees only during my intern days. today, we can see many females getting right to work as a chef too. Not to deny that working in the kitchen demands having to carry loads and stand the whole day. Especially, during the menstruation cycle working gets harder and on top of that, we do not get to have lunchtime during hectic days. Perhaps, this is also the reason that keep women from working as a chef.

 

Discrimination as a women chef

Not at all! At Aloft, I haven’t come across such discrimination. However, a few years back I could feel the eyes of judgment and doubt about my capabilities. The changes in people’s perceptions are evident and now we don’t have to worry about what others say.