Sally Abé and Kayla Lawrie’s female-owned hospitality map hits major milestone

Chef Sally Abé and Topjaw’s Kayla Lawrie’s interactive map, which acts as a directory for women-owned hospitality businesses across the UK, has surpassed 1,000 businesses across the UK.

 

The map was first launched in July featuring 350 operators spanning restaurants, bars, cafés, bakeries and pubs.

 

This initiative is the latest of women-focused initiatives by Abé across her career, including prioritising hiring female staff at her recently-opened restaurant Teal in Hackney, London.

 

Abé also drove the publication of a ten-point pledge for hospitality operators to tackle sexism across the sector earlier this year, with signatories including Ottolenghi, Hawksmoor and Compass Group.

 

The interactive map is described as “a living resource” which aims to empower women in the industry, amplifying their “visibility at a local and national level.”

 

Abé and Lawrie said: “We know this industry is alive with diverse female talent, and we hope our new map sparks conversation about representation and visibility but also supports them during a time where the industry is already facing enough challenges.

 

“We’re excited to put the map in the hands of the industry and diners but even more excited about the potential it creates to do even more.”