call to action
Who We Are, and What We Do….
In what Anthony Bourdain once described as a ‘marriage of chaos and militarism,’ the industry has long held a reputation for having a pervasive and entrenched relationship with mental health disorders. Kitchen culture tends to exacerbate existing mental health challenges; or create new problems by normalizing boundless self-medication. In an industry where a shift beer or shots during dinner service are the acceptable standard, there is a culture of emotional suppression. Real problems are never effectively addressed and the “put your head down and work” mentality leads to self-medication, and possibly (likely) eventual self-destruction.
The culinary industry was rocked to its core when Anthony Bourdain committed suicide in 2018. Although he had written and spoken extensively over the years about the mental health challenges present in restaurant life, and even his own suffering, the world was still shocked that someone as wildly successful as him would take his own life. The tragic loss of Bourdain leads us to our call to action.
Bourdain’s death, other high-profile falls from grace, and our own personal journeys with mental health disorders and addiction presented an opportunity that we could no longer ignore.
Culinary Love was born as a collective of current and former industry professionals, who decided that a conversation must be had, and an action plan created to address the long ignored mental health concerns within the industry. We have created a space for hospitality professionals to be seen, be heard and connect with meaningful resources in order to get the help they need.
We Are….. CULINARY LOVE.