Prue Leith: Savoy Chef's Sexist Period Remark Revealed

Prue Leith has shared startling accounts of sexism encountered during her early years in the culinary profession. Reflecting on her time at cookery school in the 1960s and the subsequent opening of her Michelin-starred restaurant in 1969, Leith described a kitchen environment dominated by men. Many male chefs held the view that women belonged in the home, not professional kitchens.

One particularly disturbing comment came from Silvino Trompetto, Head Chef at the Savoy Hotel from 1965 to 1980. He reportedly told Leith that he would never hire a woman, citing marriage as a reason they wouldn't stay and asserting they would distract the male staff. Trompetto also shockingly claimed that women could 'curdle the mayonnaise' during their periods, a belief Leith described as 'witchcraft.'

Leith shared these recollections on Davina McCall's Begin Again podcast, discussing the military-like structure and language common in professional kitchens. She acknowledged that while she largely worked for herself, thus avoiding direct workplace discrimination, she learned about the harsh realities faced by other women in the industry.

In separate comments, Leith also expressed her dissatisfaction with recent weight-loss jabs, calling them a 'waste of money.' After taking them for a month without losing any weight, despite eating only 200 calories daily, she concluded they were ineffective for her. She contrasted this with her experience on The Great British Bake Off, where she consumed cake and wine regularly for nine years without gaining weight.