This Pride Month, Deliveroo is launching The Open Kitchen – an opportunity for aspiring LGBTQIA+ chefs to be mentored by leading talent from the community.
A new initiative from the delivery app, The Open Kitchen welcomes up-and-coming chef talent from the LGBTQIA+ community into the culinary world, teaching them the skills and techniques needed to create delicious dishes – before serving them to the public via Deliveroo.
The Open Kitchen aims to increase representation in commercial kitchens across the UK, after research shows that underrepresentation of the LGBTQIA+ community is one of the industry’s biggest issues, with two thirds (64%) of LGBTQIA+ hospitality workers surveyed saying it’s not talked about enough within the business.
In fact, the majority (81%) admit that in previous or current hospitality jobs, they’ve been the only openly LGBTQIA+ person, and only 56% say they feel they can be their true self working in the industry. Meanwhile, 61% said they would not feel confident entering a workplace environment in which their community is underrepresented.
So, on 5th and 6th June in London, Deliveroo will open the doors to The Open Kitchen, where professional chefs from LGBTQIA+ owned Deliveroo partners, The Athenian and Nanny Bill’s, will mentor and provide a nurturing and supportive space to budding LGBTQIA+ culinary talent across the two days. These trainee chefs will participate in a hands-on masterclass, where they will learn how to cook up dishes inspired by the restaurants’ iconic menus, including The Athenian’s Chicken Gyros Wrap and Courgette Fritters, and Nanny Bill’s The Dalston Dip and Aggy Fries. Dishes from The Open Kitchen will then be made available to purchase on Deliveroo that evening.
The Open Kitchen initiative was developed in collaboration with Queers in Food and Beverage, a network linking LGBTQIA+ people who work in the hospitality industry. The organisation connected Deliveroo with up-and-coming chefs wanting to refine their skills and progress in the industry.
Rachel Rumbol, founder of Queers in Food & Beverage comments:
“I started Queers in Food & Beverage over 3 years ago, after experiencing a lack of representation of the queer community in the industry, first hand. That’s why I’m thrilled to be partnering with Deliveroo on this initiative. My hope is that The Open Kitchen will help increase visibility of the LGBTQIA+ community in kitchens and hospitality, and prompt conversations about this issue during Pride Month and beyond.”
The new initiative also marks the launch of Deliveroo’s Open Kitchen Fund, which aims to further contribute to improving LGBTQIA+ representation in the hospitality industry by sponsoring aspiring talent in culinary training. In the fund’s inaugural year, all sales from The Open Kitchen restaurant will go towards the Open Kitchen Fund, to support five members of the community from all over the UK in pursuing their own career in restaurants. Deliveroo will also match the total sales from The Open Kitchen restaurant as an additional donation*.
Kelvin Chen, Global Co-Lead of Deliveroo’s LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group (Deloveroo) comments:
“At Deliveroo we believe in the power of food to tell stories, help forge identities, and bring people closer together. That’s why we proudly demonstrate our support of the LGBTQIA+ community through our work with customers, riders and restaurants. This includes amplifying LGBTQIA+ voices and improving the experience of those individuals across our marketplace, which is why we are so excited to be launching The Open Kitchen, and a new fund that will have a lasting impact well beyond Pride Month. We hope this inspires even more people from the community to kick start their career in the culinary space.”
The fund comes after the majority (65%) of LGBTQIA+ hospitality workers surveyed say there is still plenty to be done to make the industry a more inclusive place for the LGBTQIA+ community. Likewise, over three quarters (77%) believe it is important to have role models in their workplace who are also from the community.
To apply for the fund, simply fill out the application form HERE. Successful participants will be notified by Wednesday 12th June, to partake in a training course of their choosing.
Tim Vasilakis, Founder and CEO of The Athenian comments: “As an LGBTQIA+ chef with over 10 years in the industry, I know how important it is to facilitate a safe, inclusive environment in the workplace where people can feel comfortable to be their true, authentic selves, and focus on creating incredible food. I couldn’t be more pleased to be partnering with Deliveroo to launch The Open Kitchen and can’t wait to welcome more LGBTQIA+ talent into the industry.”
Jade Simpson, Head of Operations at Nanny Bill’s adds: “Any opportunity to inspire up and coming LGBTQIA+ talent is important to us, and The Open Kitchen initiative is exactly the kind of initiative we prioritise at Nanny Bill’s. There’s nothing more important to us than creating a respectful kitchen space where everyone is welcomed and celebrated, and it’s been a pleasure to help train and inspire the next generation of LGBTQIA+ talent.”
The Open Kitchen delivery restaurant will be available to order from on Wednesday 5th and Thursday 6th June, exclusively via Deliveroo in London. Customers can choose from a special menu, featuring dishes inspired by cult-favourites from The Athenian and Nanny Bill’s. Dishes start at £4.95, with all proceeds going directly to the Open Kitchen Fund.
