Jimmy Taylor

Chief Ambassador

(Offaly, Ireland)

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. 

Ivan Frutos

Ambassador

(Madrid, Spain)

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.