Pub owner from Cumbria named among UK's top women chefs

Nina Matsunaga, chef-owner of The Black Bull at Sedbergh, said it was ‘pretty amazing’ to make the grade for the awards list which was compiled by Champagne Ayala and SquareMeal to mark International Women’s Day 2024.

This year’s rundown includes Michelin-starred legends and fine dining champions as well as emerging talent, many of whom are mixing up traditional techniques and combining them with new ways of presenting food.

An awards spokesperson said: “While it feels slightly unnatural to select and celebrate people based on their gender, when we started the Female Chef Awards, we did so to readdress the balance. You see, as with many professions across the UK, women are hugely underrepresented in the world of cheffing.”

However, thankfully among those breaking the mould is Nina whose use of flavours from her Japanese and German heritage, underpinned by her use of the very best seasonal British ingredients, has won her critical acclaim.

Nina said: ‘’I certainly didn’t expect to be listed among the UK’s top 40 female chefs list. Being in the company of some of the industry’s iconic female chefs is pretty amazing.‘’

‘’The one thing we’ve always tried to be is an inclusive team – as far as we’re concerned all that matters is that you have the ability and skill to be able to do your job, and to have the wherewithal to be prepared to evolve, learn and develop in your role so that you can meet the challenges you will inevitably face in a busy working kitchen.’’