Speakers including Jess Murphy of Kai Restaurant, Birgitta Curtin of the Burren Smokehouse and Danni Barry, head chef of Michelin-starred Deanes EIPIC in Belfast. Maria Canabal, president of the Parabere Forum, will participate in the two-day conference and workshop, with topics for discussion including the challenges of creating a more inclusive working environment, opportunities for women to show leadership in food, and driving gender balance in kitchens.

Athrú also hopes to establish a working Irish female chef database that would be available or suitable for judging, media and/or to provide a female voice and point of view.

The two-day meet-up will run from 18-19 July with workshops being facilitated at 56 Central and keynote addresses and think-in collaborative sessions with all attendees. The workshops will run from 9am to 2pm on both days.

“This is a very necessary conference to happen,” says Jess Murphy. “We need to build a stronger voice across the culinary arts. There is, like across every section of society and within business, a lot of gender inequality and we just want to insure that we are doing everything possible to get an equal playing field for both men and women working inside kitchens and within the hospitality sector.”

Other speakers will include Gill Carroll of Strive For It and 37 West; Mary Farrell, director of culinary research and innovation at Mortons & Sons; Colin Harmon of 3FE; Cait Noone of GMIT; Regina Sexton, lecturer in culinary history at UCC; Seamus Sheridan of Sheridan’s Cheesemongers; Gail Cotter Buckley, lecturer at CIT; Eanna Hassett, Director of F&B at Ashford Castle; Julianne Forrestal, executive chef of Sodexo; and Bernie Buckley of Good4U.

Tickets are €35. To register or learn more, visit http://athru.net or follow Athrú2016 on Instagram and Twitter @athru2016.