I entered the hospitality industry later in my life- 7 years ago. After a traumatic experience as a security officer I knew a change in career was needed. I was diagnosed with PTSD and struggled with my mental health for a number of years. I am now a Head Chef in a 40 room Country House Hotel, in the centre of Ireland.

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I stumbled across The Burnt Chef Project while researching a project for college. It lit a spark in me at the time to make Mental Health discussions more open within my workplace. I BBQ as a hobby and set up an account on Instagram and again stumbled on The Burnt Chef Project. I promised myself that this time I was going to help spread the word.

 

I feel if I can help only one person to open up, to admit it’s ok not to be ok, then I’ve given something back to the industry that I love. 

I am a hospitality worker, I used to run my own restaurant, also working at luxurious hotels in Argentina and doing hospitality consulting. Nowadays, I coach people who work in the industry and are trained to obtain tools to have balance between personal and professional life. I am also a teacher, a hospitality business communicator, and I also organise private events for people who want to improve their personal and professional life.

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I am in my moral obligation to improve the industry and the mental health of those who work in it. I would like to reduce the stigma and spread the information about that, sharing, training and creating community through my personal experience.

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I want to open a new path in Spain where people who work in the industry feel safe and could be able to improve their knowledge and manage their feelings.

I have been a chef for over 40 years, from working in Michelin star restaurants, to owning two Red M Michelin restaurants, to larger volume quality eateries and now premium food production. During this time I have experienced mental health challenges on a few occasions and there wasn`t

anyone in the industry to turn to for support. That`s why I love the Burnt Chef Project and want to help promote it. It gives people in need the necessary support and encourages awareness and positive mental health. Understanding the huge pressures, stress and work life balance issues , I know how important it is to speak about these issues with colleagues and friends. The macho image of chefs being hard core and unbreakable is false and everyone needs to know that it`s ok not to be ok and have the support available to survive and thrive. Change needs to come from within.