Happy International Women’s Day from all of us at Chinatown London!

This week (one day is not enough!) we will be putting the spotlight on several inspirational female figures in Chinatown London. These female founders discuss their journey into the F&B industry, as well as the challenges they overcame to be where they are today.

To mark the occasion we worked with the hugely talented Cherie Kwok to bring these women to life through her vibrant illustrative style incorporating the different motifs of each woman’s business.

Ellen Chew of Rasa Sayang. Read the full interview below:

Please introduce yourself!

I’m Ellen Chew and I’m the Director of the Chew on This Group who owns Rasa Sayang.

What connects you to Chinatown?

London Chinatown will always hold a very special place in my heart. This is where I started my first restaurant and it’s still here, thriving today. I’ve got deep roots in this place and it’s home to one of my dearest restaurants that showcases my home cuisine.

Over the years I’ve been here, I’ve also had the privilege to forge good relations with my landlords and my neighbours and we have become one tight community of like-minded people.

Which qualities have helped you become a female business owner in Chinatown London?

I think the one trait that I have that has helped me tremendously as a businesswoman is tenacity. I never let people convince me about what I can or cannot achieve and I’m very head strong when I believe in something. I’m not always right, but it has worked in my favour more often than not.

The Chinatown scene in 2008 was quite daunting for me being new to the country and Chinatown. It was mainly male dominated and very focused on good Hong Kong cuisine. So being a woman starting a Singaporean/Malaysian restaurant in Chinatown has had its set challenges. But with a strong will and open mind, I’ve managed to make many friends along the way while running a business that people have come to love.

What advice would you give to women wishing to start a career in food?

Like what I mentioned earlier – I think tenacity and the mindset of never giving up is very important for anyone starting a business. There might be days when everything seems to be going wrong or there seems to be very little hope in sight, but one must persevere through the hard times to enjoy the fruits of your labour.

Another advice would be to never stop moving and always seek to evolve and sniff out trends. In this day and age, the world is moving at a crazy speed and if we don’t keep up, we will be left in the dust. I believe in the saying “a rolling stone gathers no moss.”

Z He of Bun House. Read the full interview below:

Please introduce yourself!

My name is Z He and i’m the co-founder of Bun House in Chinatown.

What connects you to Chinatown?

It’s our community. We instantly felt very welcome when we moved in here. We are also part of a movement to bring a newer generation of restaurant style into Chinatown.

Which qualities have helped you become a female business owner in Chinatown London?

I consider myself very creative, I was an interior architect before I became a restaurateur so being able to have a blank canvas to create this very unique space has been a real drive.

What advice would you give to women wishing to start a career in food?

Be brave and be curious. I ask a lot of questions, a lot of them are stupid because I came with no background in food. I have a huge passion in cooking, eating and design. All of these things combined gave me a drive to delve into areas which have never really been explored.

Which three women have inspired you in your life?

Three is very difficult. Fuchsia Dunlop is someone who I would love to have dinner with again. The second would be my Grandma, when I first moved to the west she was always very concerned that we didn’t have good food to eat. It would be great to bring her here and showcase what we have in Chinatown London. It would impress her and comfort her a lot. The third would be all of the team leaders in all of our sites. They are all very inspiring ladies, extremely hard working and without them, we wouldn’t have what we have today.

Lucy Mitchell of See Woo. Read the full interview below:

Please introduce yourself!

Hi, I’m Lucy Mitchell and i’m Managing Director of See Woo group.

Which qualities have helped you become a female business owner in Chinatown London?

Focusing on my business and what my mission is for the business and also the wider community. I try to leave behind the negative and channel the positive and focus on what is import and and what difference we can make.

What advice would you give to women wishing to start a career in food?

It’s absolutely the best sector to be involved in. It’s so diverse, the types of food you can get involved in but also the people you meet. There’s so many opportunities, so I would say “just go for it”.

Which three women have inspired you in your life?

First would be The Queen, I think she would be so interesting to talk to with all the people she’s met and all the changes she’s seen during her reign. My second would be Sheryl Sandberg, Chief Operating Officer of Facebook. I think she’s hugely inspiring to women in business as a female leader starting her career when it wasn’t so common and the challenges she’s faced – I think she’s inspirational. My last, but not least would be Mary Berry. I think she’s had an extraordinary career in food. She still seems as passionate as ever. I would love to have dinner with her.

Florence Mae Maglanoc of Mamasons Dirty Ice Cream. Read the full interview below:

Please introduce yourself!

Hi, my name is Florence Mae Maglanoc and I am the owner of Mamasons Dirty Ice Cream in Chinatown.

What connects you to Chinatown?

Chinatown was a very big part of my childhood. My family and I would go there frequently for groceries, to meet up with my aunties and with my friends so it was definitely a big focal point of growing up and it’s still a big part of my life right now.

Which qualities have helped you become a female business owner in Chinatown London?

I think a lot of it is hard work ethic. That was very prominent when growing up. You had to work hard to achieve what you wanted to do. I think a big part of business is also learning to love the bits that are unfamiliar to you because those bits are probably the most important.