By Tilly Walder
For many years, the hospitality industry has been associated with long hours, intense pressure, and a culture that accepted exhaustion as part of the job. Now, a growing movement is challenging that attitude, and on the Island local chefs are helping to bring the conversation into the open.
The Burnt Chef Project was founded in 2019, by Kris Hall, after he highlighted the lack of mental health support available to hospitality workers. It has since grown into a global organisation providing training, education, and support across the industry.
Among its ambassadors are Alex and Laurel Wibberley, of Eat Street in Cowes, who are currently the only representatives for the project on the Island.
Alex said the industry had been in need of change for some time, but the Covid pandemic forced many people to rethink their working lives.
“So many left hospitality because they realised they couldn’t keep going like that,” he said. “There’s now more awareness that staff need to be looked after properly, and that can only be a good thing.”
Raising awareness and funds
On Monday, January 19, known as Blue Monday, Alex and Laurel organised a fund-raising and awareness event in support of The Burnt Chef Project.
The event was held at East Afton Farmhouse, with suppliers and local businesses donating their time and services, and Eat Street covering all remaining costs so that all proceeds went directly to the charity. Guests were served a special menu prepared by Island chefs, with Damien from Artisan Cafe in East Cowes, Dan Lythgoe from Harvey Browns, Ramona Dobre from Stripped Brasserie, Seb Andrew-Jones from Mental Health Services, and Alex putting the meal together. The evening also featured an auction and raffle, with prizes donated by supporters, and was designed to raise money while encouraging open discussion about mental health in the hospitality industry.
By the end of the night, £12,172 had been raised, exceeding the £10,000 target.
Burn-out hit home
After years working in high-pressure hotel and restaurant kitchens, Alex said burn-out had often been treated as a badge of honour.
“There’s a bravado in kitchens where being completely exhausted is seen as normal,” he said. “You don’t ask for time off. You just keep going.”
That culture became dangerous when he crashed his car on the way to work before starting a 22-hour shift because he was too tired to stay awake at the wheel.
More recently, the strain resurfaced during the very event designed to raise awareness about burn-out. In a social media post shared after the fund-raiser, Alex revealed that on the day of the event he felt physically unwell and emotionally drained. While listening to a talk about burn-out before service began, he recognised the same symptoms in himself. Days later, he was taken to A&E.
“We take on big responsibilities for other people’s milestones,” he said. “You can’t just cancel because you feel ill.”
Alex said the message had to be realistic. While chefs could not always avoid pressure, there were steps within their control, including learning to say no during difficult periods, recognising early warning signs, and remembering that long-term health and family life mattered more than any single service.
He also said he had attended therapy every fortnight for the past three years as a form of ongoing self-care. “Everyone struggles with something at some point. Just having that space to talk makes a difference,” he explained.
The Burnt Chef Project also runs a confidential text service allowing hospitality workers worldwide to reach trained responders within minutes.
For more information, visit iw.observer/burnt-chef.
Carole Dennett