Inspirational female chefs and restaurateurs have shown the world what women are capable of. They have worked with determination and perseverance to flourish and exert influence within a male-dominated industry. These female culinary go-getters have applied their distinctive creativity and style to the art of cooking. Here, we take a look at our five favourite and most inspirational women from the food industry in celebration of International Women’s day this Friday. We would love to hear your inspirational women in the comments section!

1. Ella Woodward

Ella Woodward, the revolutionary behind Deliciously Ella and a woman on a mission to make the world a healthier place. At the age of 20, Ella was diagnosed with postural tachycardia syndrome which broke her confidence, since then she was forced to make enormous shifts in her lifestyle and diet. Turning to a plant-based diet was essential in managing her symptoms of bloating, exhaustion and weakness. Fast forward to 2019 and Ella is the founder of Deliciously Ella, co-owner of a deli serving delicious healthy eats and the author of three top-selling cookbooks. Ella is an inspiration to so many and has helped people transform their diet and lifestyle.

Rose and Ruth are the founders of The River Café; a restaurant at the forefront of London’s food scene for over 30 years. The late Rose Gray and now owner Ruth Rogers created arguably one of the most influential restaurants of our time. Leading the way in seasonal, high-quality cooking in casual and comfortable surroundings, now the formula for most modern restaurants. Their debut came in 1987 when London’s food scene was uninspiring and boringly safe, yet these two revolutionaries were quietly brewing something new and exciting. Any London foodie has Rose and Ruth to thank!

Known for her mouth-watering bakes and being our favourite judge on the Great British Bake Off, Mary epitomises the great British baker with sixty years of cooking experience under her belt. Learning the art at the age of 17 Mary quickly established herself as a leading cookery writer and broadcaster, throughout her career she has published over 70 cookbooks sold internationally. Recognised for her contributions to the culinary arts she was appointed an OBE in 2012.

Britain’s first and most loved celebrity cook, Delia Smith is an icon in the culinary world. With a budding career throughout the 1970s, ’80s and 90’s Delia rose from unpromising beginnings to become one of the wealthiest and most influential women in Britain and among the most loved celebrity chefs. Championing the use of back-to-basics cookery skills, Delia has been hailed the ‘first lady’ of cooking and holds a place in the hearts of many British cooks.

Known for her stunningly successful modelling career, Chrissy is also a pretty awesome chef. Her newest cookbook, Cravings: Hungry For More is filled with delicious meals for breakfast lunch and dinner. Chrissy’s personality always shines through in any aspect of her life and this holds true for her cookbook too. Her witty blurbs will have you laughing at recipe descriptions in no time.