Clare Smyth named world’s best female chef

Clare Smyth – the first British female chef to hold and retain three Michelin stars – has been named ‘best female chef’ by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants judges, though the award is becoming increasingly controversial for singling out women.

Growing up on a farm in County Antrim in Northern Ireland, Smyth was chef patron at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay on Royal Hospital Road in Chelsea from 2012 to 2016, where she held the top accolade of three Michelin stars.

Last year she branched out with her first solo venture – Core in Kensington – which makes a hero of local, seasonal British ingredients and gives humble ingredients like carrots and potatoes a starring role in some of her dishes.

This is the first time the award has gone to a Brit, with previous winners including Anne-Sophie Pic, who opened her first London restaurant – La Dame de Pic – at The Four Seasons in Tower Hill last year.

Despite the honour of the accolade, the ‘best female chef’ award is becoming increasingly controversial for singling out female talent.

Back in 2013 American chef Anthony Bourdain questioned the necessity of the award in a tweet that read: “Why, at this point in history, do we need a best female chef special designation, as if they are curiosities?”

Eater London has also been outspoken about the award, naming it “absurd” and “insulting” this week.

Smyth admitted that she finds the idea of the award “strange” given that she has competed on a level playing field with men since the beginning of her career.

“I stood shoulder to shoulder with men in the toughest kitchens in the world and excelled and loved it. So to separate male from female chefs for me is strange, but we don’t see enough women coming through at the top and we need to do something about it,” she told The Independent.

Smyth, who was given an MBE in 2013, is on a winning streak as Core was named ‘Best Restaurant’ at the GQ Food & Drink Awards on Monday.