Our Impact and legacy
Your support helps us turn purpose into practical action. Through the generosity of our members, partners, and donors, LDE London has:
Awarded educational bursaries enabling women to access professional training, courses, and career-shaping opportunities they might otherwise not reach
Launched a new Micro-Grant Programme, providing small, targeted grants that can unlock big impact — from tools and equipment to pilot projects and community initiatives
Built a culture of mentorship, connecting women across generations and disciplines, both within our Chapter (Dame-to-Dame) and across the wider food and hospitality community
Raised funds for affiliated charities, supporting organisations working at the intersection of food, education, access, and social impact
Photo credit Andy Aitchison for Food Behind Bars
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At Les Dames d’Escoffier London, we believe a stronger, fairer food system begins by backing the women who shape it.
For more than a generation, our Chapter has quietly and consistently invested in education, opportunity, and leadership across food, drink, and hospitality. Today, that commitment is more vital than ever.
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Member subscriptions cover our essential administration. Everything else our bursaries, micro-grants, charitable giving, and outreach s made possible through fundraising events, sponsorships, and donations.
Some of our events are intimate, member-led gatherings. Others bring together partners, sponsors and the wider industry around shared values: education, equity, sustainability, and opportunity.
Every contribution directly strengthens our ability to invest in women and the communities they serve. -
As a Chapter, we actively build relationships with charities and social enterprises that share our commitment to empowering women through food. Our philanthropic partnerships focus on organisations creating meaningful pathways into skills, employment and independence.
One such partnership is with Luminary Bakery, a social enterprise established to support women who have experienced extreme disadvantage, trauma and gender-based violence. Luminary uses baking as a powerful tool for change equipping women with skills, confidence and routes into employment so they can build new futures for themselves.
This relationship continues through Dame Cathy Sloman, who delivers Luminary’s Bread Baking Masterclass twice a year as part of its Employability Programme, sharing expertise, mentorship and hands-on support.
Through our Dames Give Back programme, we have also supported the following organisations over the past year:
Cooking Champions
Food Behind Bars
Plan ZHeroes
Together, these partnerships reflect our belief in food as a force for empowerment, dignity and long-term change.
Applications Now Closed for the 2026 LDEI Legacy Awards
Applications are now closed for the 2026 Legacy Awards from Les Dames d’Escoffier International an extraordinary programme designed to support and elevate women working across food, beverage and hospitality. We look forward to annoucing the winners shortly.
A stronger, fairer food system starts by backing the women who shape it.
We invest directly in women across food, drink and hospitality — from early-stage micro-grants to career-changing bursaries.
Your support funds:
• Professional training
• Essential equipment
• Mentoring and leadership development
• Real opportunities that unlock growth
This isn’t theory. It’s practical, targeted investment in talent — the chefs, producers, founders and changemakers building a more sustainable, inclusive future.
Back women. Shift the system.
Make a Donation
A gift of any size fuels real opportunity. Your support funds bursaries, micro-grants and practical charitable backing for women building bold futures in food, drink and hospitality.
From essential equipment and specialist training to mentoring and leadership development, your donation turns potential into progress.
Give today. Invest in women. Strengthen the future of food.
Partner With Us
We work with brands, businesses, and organisations who share our commitment to impact, education, and leadership. Sponsorship opportunities range from events and programmes to long-term partnerships.
Mentor and Connect
If you believe in the power of knowledge-sharing and community, there are opportunities to support both our internal Dame-to-Dame mentoring and our wider outreach to women across the sector.
Join Us in Creating Change
If our mission resonates with you, we would love to hear from you. Whether you are a potential donor, sponsor, or partner, your support helps us open doors, fund opportunity, and champion the next generation of women in food, drink, and hospitality.
Key Statistics on Lack of Equality
Leadership Gap: Women hold only about 8% to 30% of senior management positions in the hospitality industry.
C-Suite & Boardroom: Women make up only 7% to 19% of C-suite roles (CEO, CFO, etc.) in the hotel sector.
Executive Committee: Women occupy only 25.5% of executive committee positions.
Pay Disparity: Women in the hospitality industry earn 14.7% to 17% less than their male counterparts on average.
Frontline vs. Top Management: While women comprise 59% of the hospitality workforce, they are often in roles that reflect traditional caregiving, such as housekeeping and front desk, whereas men dominate operational, finance, and top-tier management.
Head Chefs: Only 17% of head chefs in the UK are women.
Regional and Sector Specifics
UK: Women account for 54% to 60% of the workforce, yet fill only 11% to 30% of senior management roles.
Harassment: A 2021 survey found 47% of hospitality workers in the UK had experienced sexual harassment.
Barriers to Equality
"Glass Ceiling": A significant drop-off in female representation occurs as employees move from mid-level (42%) to senior management (33%).
Work-Life Balance: Demanding, irregular hours and lack of flexibility hinder women with caregiving responsibilities.
Bias and Stereotypes: Masculinised organisational culture and "old boys' networks" create barriers to promotion.
Lack of Mentorship: Women often lack access to the mentorship and sponsorship necessary for high-level advancement.
Progress and Outlook
While the industry is slowly addressing these gaps, projections suggest it could take over two decades to achieve full gender pay parity in some hospitality sectors.