The big interview: Burnt Chef Project

No-one can deny the seriousness of Britain’s wider mental health crisis. Switch on the news and the subject is mentioned daily. But while other industries have long increased awareness, hospitality is only now beginning to truly prioritise it.

Stress and poor mental health have long been associated with this vibrant sector, and in the past, awareness elsewhere sometimes seemed to draw attention away from the unique pressures faced by hospitality teams. Coupled with recent challenges, including financial uncertainty, operators have had to balance business pressures with the equally urgent need to support their people.

Kris Hall set up The Burnt Chef Project six years ago as a not-for-profit social enterprise aimed at helping everyone in hospitality - not just chefs - deal with mental health challenges. He has since become well accustomed to challenging mindsets when it comes to addressing the subject. “I constantly hear hospitality leaders saying, ‘It used to be really bad 10 years ago, but that’s not the case now', but I know from experience that there is still much work to do across hospitality," he says. "That’s why The Burnt Chef Project exists, to provide much-needed support in those environments.”

For outsiders, the industry's image is one of hot, steamy kitchens and long working hours in a highly pressurised environment with unpredictable personalities at play. From the inside, however, the picture is more complex.

Things are changing, but geopolitical and economic pressures continue to add strain, while at the same time businesses are working hard to improve cultures, challenge stigma and build psychologically safe workplaces. “It isn’t an easy juggling act,” admits Hall, “especially when there are only so many hours in a week, but it’s essential if we want to build a sustainable future for this industry.”

Hall is clear that failing to prioritise mental health would be damaging, both for individuals and the sector as a whole. “If archaic mindsets are allowed to prevail, we risk slipping back into toxic workplace cultures,” he warns. “But the opposite is also true. By taking proactive steps, we can build a healthier, stronger and more attractive industry for the next generation.”

He points to contract catering as a part of the sector that has been leading the way. “It has been the driving force behind our growth, because caterers understand that the healthier and happier their workforce and customers are, the more likely they are going to have sustainable businesses.”

Companies such as Aramark, Delaware North and Thomas Franks have teams attending workshops, accessing therapy services and even taking part in an 18-month leadership diploma that includes mental health training. The Burnt Chef Project also works closely with suppliers and industry associations such as Alto-Shaam, the Catering Equipment Distributors Association, Foodservice Consultants Society International and Unox, further spreading the message of cultural change.

For Hall, this work is as much about perception as it is about practice. Salaries have been rising, wellbeing awareness is growing and retention is improving, but the industry still struggles with reputation.

At seminars, Hall often asks hospitality professionals to raise their hands if they have children. “About half to two-thirds of the room do,” he says. “But when I ask if they’d want their children to work in the industry, almost every hand goes down. That’s something we have to change. We need to make sure hospitality is an attractive, supportive place to work, both now and for future generations.”

Changing those perceptions can be slow and not without resistance. Hall recalls one meeting where he was told bluntly that there was “no problem” and that he was “just making one up”. But evidence suggests otherwise.

A study undertaken by The Burnt Chef Project in 2020 found that four out of five hospitality workers had struggled with their mental health, and two-thirds on three or more occasions, with most being fearful of raising the issue at work. “That’s why what we’re doing matters,” Hall says. “Because behind every statistic is a person who deserves support.”

Hall’s own journey makes the project personal. He dropped out of college, where he was studying psychology, at the age of 17. “I was still interested in psychology, though, and turned it into something I could use to develop a career for myself in sales and marketing,” he recalls.

This work, which also involved helping entrepreneurs establish appropriate business systems, eventually brought him into fine food supply to the hospitality industry, where he saw firsthand the sort of pressure kitchen staff in particular worked under. “I remember very early on in my new job going to see one chef, who told me to get out of his kitchen," recalls Hall. "It was only after I raised it with my boss that I realised what an idiot I had been by going to see him, as he was just starting service and was in the midst of the lunchtime rush. I experienced first-hand the pressure that these professionals were under on a daily basis to deliver exceptional service, and developed instant respect for their passion and dedication”

During his time in food wholesale, Hall also lost several friends and colleagues to drugs and alcohol. His own battle came in his mid-twenties, when he experienced an unexpected period of mental illness. This is something he believes may have been triggered by an identity crisis he had developed since his mid- teens and then reenforced as a result of his salesman-like ability to adapt his personality in accordance with perceived client preferences.

“I felt as if I had no core values, like a chameleon that was always changing myself to fit in," he says. "I believed I no longer belonged in any circle, even that of my own family.”

Recognising the need for help, he sought therapy, deliberately choosing a professional far from home and work in order to protect his privacy. Six sessions of cognitive behavioural therapy gave him the balance to rebuild, and he threw himself into learning. “I listened to audiobooks on psychology, biology, business, marketing - anything I could get my hands on," he says. "That process gave me not just recovery, but optimism. It made me realise how much potential we all have when we’re supported.

Out of this optimism, The Burnt Chef Project was born. What began with black-and-white photographs of colleagues soon grew into a movement. “They were emotive pictures," Hall says. "People encouraged me to post them online, and when I did, the response was huge. People wanted to talk, and that told me we needed something more structured.”

In February 2020, Hall formally launched The Burnt Chef Project with £50 of his own money. He chose to create a not-for-profit social enterprise rather than a charity, so he could build an impact-driven service that worked commercially with businesses while also releasing funds for charitable goals.

Since then, the organisation has grown rapidly, operating internationally and reinvesting everything it generates into resources for the industry. Last year it dedicated over £780,000 to training and support while making a modest £10,000 profit.

Income now comes from training programmes, fundraising events and donations, as well as the sale of The Burnt Chef Project merchandise, which has developed a following in the UK and beyond. Every penny raised is targeted at free mental health services and resources.

The organisation’s Employee Assistance Programme licences cost just £5 per person, per year, providing access to therapeutic support. “For little more than the price of a coffee, people in the industry, and even their families, can be supported without financial strain,” Hall explains.

The ambition is clear. Hall reasons that if 500,000 of its ‘EAP’ licences were taken up, it would generate £2.5m annually to extend the project’s global impact. “The answer to the mental health epidemic isn’t simple,” he says. “But it’s a lot less complex than we’ve been led to believe. With the right culture and the right systems in place, we can support people effectively and cost-efficiently.

"This industry is a huge contributor to the global economy. Just think how much stronger and more attractive it could be if everyone working in it felt valued and able to thrive. That’s the future we’re building towards every day.”

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