ABOUT
Launched in May 2019 The Burnt Chef Project was setup with the sole intention of eradicating mental health stigma within hospitality
"I've been working closely within the hospitality industry for around 9 years and have seen first hand the struggles of mental health issues within the trade with both clients and friends.
Margins are slim and with increased focus on saving money both employers and employees feel the effect of this on their mental health.
Long antisocial hours, tough environmental conditions and pressures to perform are just some of the issues that hospitality professionals are fighting against on a daily basis.
We recently conducted a survey of 1273 hospitality professionals which showed that 8 out of 10 (84%) of respondents had experienced mental health issues within their career and 46% would not feel comfortable talking about their health concerns with their colleagues.
Hospitality staff should be able to discuss the state of their mental health and gain support from their peers and employers. It's important that although mental health can't be seen it is regularly discussed and policies reviewed. This should be the new definition of 'badge of honour'.
Together we can burn away mental health stigma within hospitality once and for all.
View our 2023 Social Impact Report by clicking below:
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What is The Burnt Chef Project?The Burnt Chef Project is a non-profit social enterprise setup and run to raise awareness, provide support and education around mental health and mental health issues within hospitality across the world. We do this through sales of branded merchandise training courses, support systems and your generous donations. The profits are then used to re-invest back into free-to-access mental health training and useful resources for all of hospitality.
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How did The Burnt Chef Project start?The Burnt Chef Project was setup in May 2019 after the Founder, Kris Hall, had spent years watching his close friends suffer from the ill effects of working within hospitality without feeling confident to discuss the subject. Check out the About page for more info.
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How can I get involved?We have a number of ways that you can support us in our mission to de-stigmatise mental health for both current and future generations of hospitality professionals. You can purchase branded merchandise by heading over to our Shop Check out our other pages under the heading "Work with Us" and check out Ambassadors and Supporter Membership for more information. We're always looking to work with the most passionate individuals, restaurants, suppliers, producers and contributors to the hositality trade. So if that's you please get in touch!
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Why do we need to raise awareness for mental health?It is reported that 1 in 4 people will experience a period of poor mental health within their lifetime. We have completed studies recently that show that within hospitality the numbers are more like 4 out of 5 due to the stress and pressures that working within this industry can cause.
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How are donations/the profits used?The profits generated from the sales of merchandise and donations go to a variety of different areas of the business including (but not limited to): - Mental Health Awareness training sessions for students and hospitality professionals - Subsidising Mental Health First Aid training - The Burnt Chef Support Service (you'll find more info about that on our website) - The Burnt Chef Academy (more info on our website) - Staff Costs - Ongoing business costs - Development of new projects
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When will my purchase arrive?Please be aware that delivery times for products purchased from the shop are between 5 - 7 working days and depend on postal services in your local area. If your order has not arrived after this time please contact us via email on info@theburntchefproject.com with your order number, name and address.
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I have a problem with my purchase - how do I get it fixed?Whilst we endeavour to get every order 100% correct all of the time sometimes things can slip through the net - after all we are only human. If you are missing an item you have ordered, something is incorrect or you have a general question regarding your purchase then please contact us via email on info@theburntchefproject.com
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How do I make returns?If you have recieved an order in error or you simply want to return an item then you can do so providing you notify us within 30 days of purchasing the goods and they are unworn/used and are in a resaleable condition. To contact us about your return send an email to info@theburntchefproject.com.
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Who should train to be a Mental Health First Aider?Often when we think about Mental Health First Aiders we tend to default to Management only. This is incorrect. If we are to look at who your Physical First Aiders are it can often be a diverse mix of individuals with varied roles and responsibilities. We would advise opening up Mental Health First Aider training to anyone who has had lived experience, a willingness to help make a difference to culture or shows natural empathy within the workplace to their peers.