The former Michelin star chef Marco Pierre White has come under fire for suggesting women cannot handle the heat of working in kitchens.

White, 57, suggested women were too emotional and not strong enough to carry heavy pans.

In an interview with the Irish Independent, the TV presenter and restaurateur said: “The real positive with men is that men can absorb pressure better, that’s the main difference, because they are not as emotional and they don’t take things personally.

“Look at the size of some of the pans you are carrying. Can you imagine you’re a lady in the kitchen and saying: ‘Will you carry that pan for me?’”

The comments have prompted a backlash from industry professionals. Asma Khan, the founder of the London Indian restaurant Darjeeling Express – which is staffed by an all-female kitchen team – said she was disappointed by the comments.

“Like a three-day-old fish, [these comments] reek of patriarchy, and there is no place in the kitchen for rotting fish or chefs with these attitudes,” she told Big Hospitality.

The lack of women working in kitchens is an issue that has previously been called into question. According to the latest available figures from the Office for National Statistics, only 17% of chef positions in the UK are held by women.

Neil Rankin, the owner of the Temper steakhouse and barbecue restaurants in London, called White a “rambling dinosaur”.

In an Instagram post, he added: “The only real difference between men and women in the kitchen is that men don’t have to put up with this nauseating baseless antiquated bullshit everyday.”

Byron Burger’s director of food and drink, Sophie Michell, said she was “fucking sick of this shit and it is prevalent FYI, across the board”.

Some pointed out that White himself had shown his fair share of emotions while on television. A former kitchen worker, James Ritchie, from Sunderland, said the comments contradicted his own experiences.

He said: “The few women I worked with were in complete control of their emotions and handled pressure and casual sexism with aplomb, whereas many male colleagues regularly had tantrums, lost control, and were abusive to other members of staff because of the pressures of working in a high-end kitchen. Not unlike a certain Marco Pierre White back in his heyday.”

White is no stranger to controversy. Last week, he hit the headlines after calling Jamie Oliver “delusional” for blaming the collapse of his restaurant chain on Brexit uncertainty. In 2017, he was criticised after an appearance on Hell’s Kitchen. Critiquing a salmon dish cooked by a female contestant and her sister, White said: “And you hope to keep a husband.”