Posted by In my ongoing series of sharing interesting conversations, I’m here today with a candid chat I had with Kolkata-based celebrity chef and influencer Sneha Singhi Upadhaya. I spoke to her a women’s day focused article on female chefs that was published in OPEN magazine, which you can read here. So, here goes:
Noor Anand Chawla (NAC): Please talk about your journey in this field, and the many roles you have donned within the culinary space.
Sneha Singhi Upadhaya (SSU): My journey in the culinary space has been very rewarding. I opened my first cafe in Kolkata called Paris Cafe which went on to have nine outlets in the city over a course of many years. After Covid-19, I ended up shutting my cafes and started content creation on Instagram which again has been very fulfilling as I built a community of genuine subscribers. It also led me to collaborate with a lot of national and international brands. Also, being a food and beverage (F&B) consultant keeps me on my toes, learning about newer techniques, evolving tastes and gives me a chance to be creative with my menu suggestions.
NAC: What do you feel is an advantage of being a woman in the culinary arts?
SSU: A few years ago, when I became a part of the culinary world, there were very few women who were actively involved in it. But, that has considerably changed now. I feel women in general are more adaptive, open to newer concepts and susceptible to change. And that I feel is one of my biggest advantages personally being a woman in the culinary arts.
NAC: What does the industry need to do to re-shape the narrative surrounding haute cuisine as it currently stands?
SSU: A lot of times, I feel haute cuisine is more focused on presentation and not the taste or using local produce. Haute cuisine can be more approachable if we have people who’ve been cooking a regional cuisine for years take part in the process or understanding their stories or why and how they use a certain ingredient for it to be more popular.
NAC: What do you think of the continuing perception that professional kitchens remain male dominated spaces? Has that ever felt like a deterrent for you?
SSU: In broader perspective that is still true. As a F&B consultant, I see kitchens dominated by male chefs and a handful of female chefs. But that has significantly changed from when I started when the space was even more limited. Personally, I haven’t ever felt deterred by the fact, but my parents, especially my father had his apprehensions when I decided to pursue culinary arts. Although now, he is one of my biggest supporters.
NAC: There are many more women in creative, entrepreneurial and leadership roles in this field now than in decades past. What has the journey been like for you, and for the culinary space in general, in this regard?
SSU: I agree. It’s so heartwarming to see so many women in this field now, be it in the kitchen as a chef/barista or being an owner/co-owner, managing a space. So, things have definitely shifted for the better. For me, thankfully it’s been a smooth journey because I had the most amazing teachers and friends, my family has been supportive including my husband. It came with its fair share of challenges, but it’s been an exciting and enriching journey.
NAC: How does being a woman impact how you conceive your business?
SSU: If you want an honest answer, I think women are more creative, hardworking, passionate and involved in their business as compared to the men, but we also have self-doubts and question everything. It feels like we need to take the extra step to prove ourselves and succeed. It’s a contradiction of sorts where we want to do everything ourselves but would also like help without having to ask for it. Having said that, obviously, things have changed by a long shot in the last decade or so and it’s only getting better. Personally, I don’t micromanage and give my team the creative freedom to express themselves which has only made my business grow.
All pictures courtesy Chef Sneha Singhi Upadhaya
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