Today, #FairKitchens, a global movement driving change to secure a healthier and more sustainable foodservice industry, is launching a new leadership training program, free to any hospitality business. Entitled “Leading a Fair Kitchen”, it aims to improve working environments and address staff retention issues by empowering leaders with insight and practical tips from others in the industry. The training is presented by Unilever Food Solutions, one of the co-founders of #FairKitchens, together with The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), which lent its expertise as an industry service.
More than 30 chefs and experts across the world worked together to create the free online program, which combines a series of short videos and actions to complete afterwards. Available for chefs & operators with any level of leadership responsibilities, the program is designed to teach participants how to be effective leaders.
“We want to empower industry leaders to build the best possible environment for their teams. That’s why we’re proud to launch this online educational series for #FairKitchens, which captures the insights, learnings, and experiences of kitchen leaders and industry experts from all over the world,” said Einav Gefen, Executive Chef, Unilever Food Solutions North America. “This is the time for us to stop, pause, and think about who we want to be – as chefs, and as people who have the privilege to nurture our staff through their careers.”
Iliana de la Vega, Chef & owner of El Naranjo, Kimberly Brock Brown, Executive Chef/President of the American Culinary Federation and Steven Satterfield, Executive Chef and Co-Owner of Miller Union are among a few of the chefs & experts that developed this training series. Leaders from Union Square Hospitality Group provided their insights as well.
“One of the goals of this leadership training, to help chefs or operators reflect on their own practices, to grow their skills and develop their team. If you’re in a position of leadership, cultivating open communication amongst your team is vital. The best leaders don’t simply talk and instruct; they listen and respond,” says Kimberly Brock Brown, Executive Chef and President of the American Culinary Federation.
In addition to helping individuals hone their leadership skills, the aim of these trainings is to drive culture change from the top. #FairKitchens aims to give leaders alternatives to simply mirroring the behaviors of head chefs in the kitchens they grew up in. By sharing honest reflections, lessons learned along the way, and practical tips, the training is designed to help leaders create an open, inclusive, and fair environment for their teams.
“Being a good leader means making the people around you the best they can be, no matter how long they are part of your team. This online program creates an opportunity to show everyone that strong businesses are those where their people come first. When we invest in our teams and our staff members are happy, that shows in our food and it shows to our guests,” adds Matt Johnston, Director of Product & Menu Experience at Pita Pit Canada, Training Contributor.
Leading a Fair Kitchen covers seven modules – one introductory module around 4 minutes in length, and six more detailed modules which take between 30-35 minutes to complete.
Module 1 (Introduction): What is Leadership
Module 2: Self Awareness and Self-Management
Module 3: Communication
Module 4: Recruitment and Onboarding
Module 5: Building Diverse Talent & Teams
Module 6: Wellbeing
Module 7: Crisis Management
Each detailed module recommends learning actions for the participants to complete afterwards. Following a short assessment at the end of the modules, participants may earn a Certificate of Completion from the Culinary Institute of America. To access the Leading a Fair Kitchen, free, online leadership training program, chefs and operators can visit FairKitchens.com for step-by-step instructions.
