For a long time, top gastronomy was a purely male domain. But now more and more women are conquering the gourmet kitchens or bringing a fresh breeze into time-honoured wine cellars. Two examples of female empowerment are the young German winemaker Sophie Christmann and the Mexican celebrity chef Elena Reygadas.
Good taste and the passion for good food knows no gender – this is also increasingly evident in commercial businesses. Well-trained women are setting trends and enriching the catering industry and the world of culinary delights with their innovations. In companies where so-called “female connoisseurs” – a term coined by food trend expert Hanni Rützler – are in management positions, topics such as sustainability, ecology and social commitment are more often on the agenda.
Sophie Christmann: old winery – young female winemaker
Winegrowing has a long tradition in Gimmeldingen, a winemaking village in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, where the Christmann family has been cultivating its vineyards since 1798. And they do it successfully. Representing the eighth generation, Sophie Christmann joined the family winery in 2018 at the age of just 25, straight after completing her studies (viticulture and agricultural economics). Since then, she has been managing the winery as dual leadership with her father Steffen Christmann.
Focus on highest quality
“The cooperation between the generations works well,” says Sophie Christmann. But simply continuing the tried and tested is not her way. Among other things, it was on her initiative that the vineyards were reduced in order to concentrate on producing wines of the highest quality – primarily Riesling and Pinot Noir.
In 2019, Sophie Christmann founded the Christmann & Kauffmann sparkling wine estate together with her father Steffen and Mathieu Kauffmann, the former Chef de Cave of the French champagne house Bollinger. The passionate young winemaker has no problem with male competition in viticulture. ‘In top winegrowing in particular, you are primarily judged by the quality of the wines, regardless of gender’, explains Sophie Christmann.
Elena Reygadas: culinary varieties
She is one of the most important personalities on the contemporary Mexican gastronomy scene: Elena Reygadas. Already honoured as the best female chef in Latin America in 2014, she was named the best female chef in the world in 2023 at ‘The World’s Best 50 Restaurants’ with her ‘Rosetta’. Although Elena Reygadas loved cooking as a child, she first studied English literature, then went to the French Culinary Institute in New York and finally to London, where she worked for an Italian chef. Back in Mexico City, Elena Reygadas opened ‘Rosetta’ in 2010.
Social engagement
In addition to her own bakery, Elena Reygadas’ culinary empire now includes the informal “Lardo”, the “Café Nin” inspired by old literary cafés and the “Bella Aurora” with classic Italian cuisine.
But that’s not all. The mother of two daughters has initiated numerous activities to strengthen the role of Mexican women in the catering industry. Among other things, she has organised a scholarship to support female culinary students. In 2019, Elena Reygadas published her first book ‘Rosetta’, which contains recipes as well as a series of essays in which she writes about topics relating to food and our food culture.
The stories of Sophie Christmann and Elena Reygadas show just how diverse the input of committed women in the food & beverage sector can be. The enormous innovative strength and dynamism of the industry can be experienced for yourself at Ambiente from 7 to 11 February 2025. With international exhibitors, a top-class supporting programme and, last but not least, the special presentation “The Lounge – Shades of Space” by Ambiente Designer 2025, Fabian Freytag.
Header image: © Fabian Pellegrini / © Maureen Evans
