To mark International Women's Day, Euronews went to meet four female chefs who are challenging standards in Portugal's catering industry.
International Women's Day is celebrated this Sunday 8 March and represents a milestone of social, political and economic conquests achieved by generations that did not let themselves conform.
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Catering however remains a realm where women are continually having to challenging prejudices.
For centuries, the role of women has been tied with domestic chores and cooking although leading teams in the world of gastronomy has been widely regarded as a man's job.
Euronews spoke to four "hands-on" women who have been working to change that perception and revolutionise the industry in Portugal and beyond.
Zélia Santos
The'chef' of Brisa do Mar at Reid's Palace, Zélia Santos was the first woman to take on this role in more than 130 years of the legendary Madeiran hotel. Born on the island, she graduated from the Madeira Hotel and Tourism School and began her career at Reid's, mastering French and Mediterranean cuisine.
Zélia's talent proved itself and she was eventually invited to lead the Brisa do Mar restaurant, where she focuses on local and seasonal ingredients. "Being the first woman to head up a Reid's Palace restaurant was undoubtedly a personal and professional achievement, which involves transformation and responsibility. I feel really proud, especially because the more women in these positions, the more doors we can open for others to see leadership as an achievable goal."
Asked whether female representation in the restaurant industry has been evolving, Zélia recognises that it has, although she admitsthat it is still a journey in the making. The 'chef' says that nowadays "there is a greater concern to form teams of equals, with the same number of women and men", not least because "with a mixed team it is possible to have access to different ideas and different ways of being".
Marlene Vieira
Chef Marlene Vieira, the only woman to join the group of chefs at Time Out Market in Lisbon and a Michelin Star in 2025, argues that "women have a certain difficulty in their journey" and that "it's important to understand how they overcome obstacles, obstacles that are probably different from those of men, women have some and men have others".
"It's still more common to find men in the position of 'chef', but there have been more and more women. The conditions are different, they're still not ideal, but they're better than they used to be. It's no longer a man's world," she says.
"Now... it's easier to find an investor for a male chef than for a woman, that's for sure. A male chef is much more commercial than a female chef. Therefore, investors will invest in a product that sells more. The public itself prefers to see men in charge of kitchens, and investors will look for what is most popular. And the most popular in Portugal are men," adds Marlene, emphasising the wage gap that still exists in the area: "There is still a discrepancy between the amounts paid to men and women in the same category."
Born in Maia, Porto, Marlene Vieira began her career in professional cookery at the age of 12 to learn in an "almost apprenticeship". At the age of 16 she began her studies at the Santa Maria da Feira Hotel School and since the age of 18 she has worked in hotels in Portugal and abroad, having worked at the Portuguese restaurant Alfama in Manhattan, in the United States. In 2009 she took part in the Chef of the Year competition, in which most of the contestants were men.
Eva Monteiro
Eva Monteiro, the pastry chef at Florbela Pâtisserie and Blind, in the Torel Palace Porto, also says that there are more and more women excelling in the area. She notes that the idea that catering is mostly dominated by male chefs has been overcome and says that she has never felt discriminated against because she is a woman. "I've never felt that I've been treated differently because I'm a woman. I believe it can happen, but it's not my experience. I think women are very well represented, and increasingly so in the catering sector."
Eva Monteiro began by studying Interior Design, but soon changed course and ended up studying Hotel Management at the Porto School of Hospitality and Tourism.
After a pastry apprenticeship at the Hotel Teatro in Porto, she worked in various hotels, restaurants and traditional pastry shops before joining the team at Torel Palace Porto in 2019, a boutique hotelin Porto inspired by Portuguese literature. The opening of Florbela Pâtisserie in 2023 has made her embrace a new challenge and turn to French-inspired pastries, although she is keen to "give some nuances of Portuguese flavours".
Carla Sousa
Carla Sousa, the 'chef' of Xtian, in Vermelho Melides, confesses that even today there are customers who are surprised when she comes round the tables to introduce herself. "People verbalise it without any problem. They always expect a man to be in charge of the kitchen. I find that curious."
The daughter of Cape Verdean parents, Carla Sousa took over the leadership of Xtian's kitchen at the end of 2025. She grew up in a country environment where there were vegetable gardens, chickens, ducks and sheep, as well as the cultivation of produce - which was respected seasonally and fully utilised - and the family sharing meals at the table. All of this has influenced her career in the kitchen, having worked in Barcelona, Paris and Luxembourg in addition to Portugal.
Female references
The presence of female role models in the catering industry proved crucial in the career of the four chefs, despite the low number of women in leadership positions. "Unfortunately, we've never had many female chefs in the limelight in Portugal. Maybe Tia Alice, but I met her later," explains Marlene Vieira.
Eva Monteiro believes that it's "motivating to have references in this area, as in all areas", because they remind us "that it's worth fighting for" and that "women make a difference, both through creativity and love, and through the care they put into their dishes".
Carla Sousa advises young girls who aspire to a career in professional cookery to look for references and to demonstrate "professionalism and consistency". Marlene Vieira says that, in addition to references, it is crucial that each woman and man "follow their own path" in this area.
In honour of International Women's Day, and in order to represent female strength, Zélia said that she would prepare a meat dish because it is "a strong element in cooking". "I would perhaps choose lamb, which requires more work, concentration and education, I think this defines the role of women and the difficulties they face." After the main course, Evawould prepare a dessert with "a mixture of fruity and acidic flavours, I really like raspberry. But I could also use warm flavours like hazelnut, salted caramel or pistachio."
To find out more about other chefs making a name for themselves in Portuguese gastronomy, follow the work of:
-Ana Borja Armijos, Head Sommelier at Restaurante Brilhante
-Eveline Borges, Sommelier at Midori, in the Penha Longa Resort
-Mónica Azevedo, Pastry Chef at Tivoli Avenida Liberdad
-Lívia Orofino, resident chef at Canalha
-Cintia Koerper, Executive Pastry Chef at Herdade da Malhadinha Nova
-Elisabete Fernandes, Wine Director at The Yeatman
-Catarina Correia, Executive Chef at Casa de Chá da Boa Nova
