Article by Lucy Rosen | Photography by M.Kat Photography  | CH2 Magazine

“In every kitchen I’ve ever worked, I have been the only female line cook. Either I was replacing one who was leaving for greener pastures or I was their first female hire,” said Amanda Russ, owner of the popular Pomodori’s on Hilton Head Island. “That being said, my first mentor was a GM in a restaurant where I was working in Charleston who asked me (at 28 years old) what I wanted to be when I grew up. I told him a chef, and he said, ‘You start tomorrow.’ He was an invaluable source of information, including passing on the sage advice that I would probably have a problem with men that were on ‘the line.’ He taught me how to navigate that atmosphere. His advice boiled down to a simple statement: ‘Always lead by example and pick up the broom instead of asking someone to sweep’—advice I continue to follow to this day as I manage my own staff.”

Russ also noted that being a chef is an extremely tough profession. “You have to be strong, both physically and mentally, with the determination to come in early and stay late to get it done.”

Although challenges still remain, it’s clear that women chefs are on the rise and rising to new heights in the culinary world both here in the Lowcountry and throughout the nation—which is great news not only for women currently in the industry and future generations of women chefs to come, but to all of us lucky enough to have the opportunities to savor the fabulous cuisine prepared by innovative chefs like these four amazing women.