The scene in the baking and pastry department at the City College of San Francisco’s downtown campus is a little more than chaotic. Students rush from counter to counter pulling sweets out of the oven, frosting cakes and molding edible sculptures. A nostalgic scent of chocolate and sugar drifts through the room, and the warmth inside is more comforting than stifling.

Head Baking and Pastry Chef Elizabeth Riehle watches over her students with a trained eye, directing them here and there as she runs around the kitchen preparing for the rush that’s bound to come from the school’s student-run restaurant. Riehle is clearly at ease in the kitchen--comfortable with the fast-paced environment and leadership role she has taken on. But the climb to the top of the culinary industry hasn’t been easy.

The boom in the culinary industry the past few years is undeniable, thanks to a combination of the world’s expanding culture palate and the ever-popular Food Network. What was once scoffed at in terms of a career and hobby now dazzles audiences across the board. Within this trend is another long awaited one—women are breaking down walls and reclaiming their place in the culinary world.

For decades, a woman’s place was in the confines of her home. She was the nurturer of children, faithful wife and cook of the household. In the professional world, men dominated the kitchen because the impression was that women were unable to maintain a professional business. But now women are starting to force their way up the ladder.

“When I started, you know, more than 25 years ago, there were no women in baking and pastry and now there are so many women, but still, you know, a lot of control comes from men, specifically white men in power,” says Riehle.

Over the years, Riehle worked her way through numerous jobs in hotels and bakeries before deciding to take on a part-time teaching job in Berkeley. After realizing how rewarding the experience could be, Riehle moved to City College, where she’s been teaching for a year and a half.

“I like sharing my experiences with the students,” says Riehle, noting that two-thirds of the students are female. And while Riehle feels the culinary industry is shifting—a move she contributes to people’s general interest and passion for food, TV shows and word of mouth—she does feel a certain lag.

“You just have to be better to get ahead in this industry. There’s not a problem in getting into the industry, the problem can be in rising,” Riehle explains. “One of my first jobs, I was working next to a guy who wasn’t as good as I was and he was getting paid more. And you know, you can either sit and cry and whine about it, or you can make yourself better.”

There are many who feel the competition between men and women in the culinary industry boils down to sheer skill instead of gender. Larry Adams, an admissions director at Le Cordon Bleu in San Francisco, feels there’s no pull either way for one chef to succeed over another.

“I think it’s pretty even, to tell you the truth,” says Adams. “Women can get ahead just as far as men can.”

Adams explains that it’s your level of professionalism and stamina that help you succeed in the industry, not whether you’re male or female. “What people look at are your attitude, your culinary background and your experience. If I’m hiring people and I have a man and woman come in and one is lethargic with a so-so background and the other is upbeat and ready to go, who do you think I would pick? It wouldn’t matter the gender.”

Kristen DePante, a recent graduate from The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, feels her chances for a job are pretty high. “I’ve been in San Francisco for less than six months and I’ve landed a job doing culinary work in a hotel with a promising look at moving up the ladder in another six months,” says the 24 year old.
DePante feels the gender struggle in the culinary world doesn’t really exist. “I mean, yeah, it’s there, but I don’t think it’s as big of a deal as people are making it. My friend, Taylor, and I have both landed great jobs with great pay and we’re both female.” DePante smiles and smoothes down her uniform, quickly glancing at the mirror in her locker.

“Women can really make this their own. Maybe back in the day they couldn’t but look at people like Rachel Ray and what not. If she can do it, so can all of us. There’s nothing stopping us now.”