The hospitality industry has made significant strides in acknowledging the importance of mental health. Organizations, operators, and industry advocates are increasingly investing in initiatives that support psychological well-being and create healthier workplace cultures. But while the conversation around mental health has gained momentum, the physical toll of working in professional kitchens remains largely overlooked.
Long hours on hard floors, repetitive movements, heavy lifting, heat, dehydration, and inconsistent nutrition are all realities of life in the kitchen. For many foodservice professionals, chronic pain, fatigue, and injury are accepted as simply part of the job.
Chef and personal trainer Imrun Texeira hopes to change that.
Through the 2026 Kitchen Health Survey, Texeira is gathering data on the physical health challenges facing culinary professionals to help build a stronger case for industry-wide change, with the goal of providing evidence that can inform better practices and support systems for kitchen teams.
A Red Seal chef and certified personal trainer currently completing studies in corrective exercise, Texeira brings a unique perspective to the initiative. His culinary career has included a stage at Noma in Copenhagen, appearances on Top Chef Canada and Chopped, and becoming the first Canadian to win the North American qualifier at the World Tapas Competition. Today, he serves as a Canadian Ambassador for The Burnt Chef Project, hosts the Kitchen Rags to Riches podcast, operates Wanderlust Private Dining and leads the Chefs Are Athletes movement, which advocates for treating culinary professionals with the same focus on performance and recovery afforded to elite athletes.
The idea stems from years of witnessing the physical consequences of life in professional kitchens.
“I know chefs under 50 who’ve had hip replacements. Others with heart problems – not from bad genes, but from the job,” says Texeira. “Twelve-hour shifts, minimal water, no real food, standing on concrete, and running on caffeine and adrenaline. That’s what we call hard work, and we wear it like a badge – until the body sends the bill.”
The issue extends beyond employee well-being. Labour retention remains one of the industry’s greatest challenges, with restaurants experiencing annual turnover rates exceeding 75 per cent. Replacing a single employee costs an estimated $5,864 in recruitment, onboarding, training, and lost productivity, creating a significant financial burden for operators.
Texeira believes improving physical health in the workplace could become an important retention strategy rather than simply another employee perk. Instead of accepting a cycle of hiring, burnout and replacement, he argues the industry should invest in helping culinary professionals sustain long, healthy careers.
Professional athletes have access to coaches, nutrition plans, recovery protocols and performance specialists. Yet chefs—whose work is equally demanding physically—are often expected to push through pain with little more than a staff meal and encouragement.
“The body isn’t the cost of the job,” says Texeira. “The body is the business.”
Foodservice professionals are encouraged to participate in the 2026 Kitchen Health Survey to help build a clearer picture of the industry’s physical health challenges and contribute to future advocacy efforts.
