At 42, Jen Agg is the woman behind five of Canada鈥檚 top restaurants.
In Toronto, she created The Black Hoof, Rhum Corner, Cocktail Bar, Grey Gardens, and in Montreal, Agrikol, a place she opened with the Grammy-winning indie rock band, Arcade Fire.
It鈥檚 actually quite remarkable Agg was able to build an epicurean empire in an overwhelmingly male industry; a so-called macho culture, which she鈥檚 been fearlessly taking on.
It鈥檚 made her tough.
Agg has as many enemies as allies. To some, she鈥檚 a bully who feeds off her devoted following. To others, she鈥檚 leading the charge for change.
She鈥檚 in your face, says it the way she sees it and doesn鈥檛 back down from a confrontation. In fact, she thrives in combative situations. Few critics are bold enough to publically criticize her.
Agg may be a tastemaker, but she also has a reputation for being unforgiving, with a take-no-prisoners attitude.
Needless to say, I was curious about what this trendsetter would be like when we sat down to chat for CTV鈥檚 W5. I anticipated Agg would be a lively interview and she didn鈥檛 disappoint. After all, behind her back, she鈥檚 described as picky, volatile, sarcastic, stubborn and opinionated.
Her response. 鈥淲hat are you going to do? You know, ultimately I don鈥檛 care. (But) I mean it. You know, (there are) some things I鈥檓 going to take personally. I鈥檓 not made of stone.鈥� And she adds: 鈥淏ut I do think I wouldn鈥檛 be as polarizing as a man. And I think that鈥檚 where the kind of crux comes to all the time.鈥�
We certainly got a sense very quickly of how polarizing this ambitious and strong-willed woman can be, but her candor and determination were disarming.
It鈥檚 easy to see why she鈥檚 the go-to restaurateur for commentary, especially in the era of #metoo.
Agg says sexual misconduct is rife in the restaurant business.
鈥淚 had a cook (who showed), what do you call it, a boy part鈥檚 pic? A d鈥攌 pic.? (He showed) that to a server and you know I鈥檝e never screamed at someone the way I screamed at him.鈥�
As to whether sexual harassment is epidemic in her industry, Agg says: 鈥淵es, absolutely. It鈥檚 systemic. It鈥檚 an epidemic. It鈥檚 endemic. It鈥檚 all of these things.鈥�
It has driven Agg to write editorials and essays in and . She鈥檚 also been tweeting about restaurant industry harassment for years. In 2015, she even staged a conference around the issue 鈥� 鈥�: Smashing the Patriarchy One Plate at a Time.鈥�
Recently Agg released her memoir, aptly titled. 鈥淚 Hear She鈥檚 a Real Bitch鈥�, a tongue-in-cheek nod to her reputation.
Of course, I had to ask: 鈥淪o are you a bitch?鈥�
Agg鈥檚 uncompromising answer: 鈥淲ell, twist ending 鈥� no! That鈥檚 kind of the point. [Because] when you say things that you think, or you live the way I do, or you live an uncompromising life, or however you want put it, as a woman, you get branded a bitch, and as a man you don鈥檛, and it鈥檚 not fair.鈥�
Watch 鈥�5 Star Jen鈥� Saturday at 7pm, on CTV鈥檚 W5.
