Priya Krishna is the latest Bon Appetit star to announce she will no longer be working with the platform following issues over fair pay and her contract.
The food writer and YouTube star took to Twitter to share her reasons for parting ways with Bon Appetit.
She explained: ‘I am leaving Bon Appetit video. When I was first asked to do videos in the test kitchen in 2018, the opportunity was presented as great publicity for my upcoming cookbook.
‘I wasn’t paid at first. In 2019, I asked to be compensated, and was offered what I was told was the standard rate, which amounted to about $300 per video, for several hours of work.
‘I later found out that some of my colleagues were making many, many times this amount for doing video, while others were receiving no additional compensation for video.’
She added that she had voiced her complaints that non-white members of the test kitchen were ‘tokenised’ and not given equal opportunities, which she says were ignored.
Priya added that she had been assured her new contract would be equitable, but claims that wasn’t the case in practise.
She added: ‘I am thankful for the platform Bon Appetit video gave me. But I refuse to be part of a system that takes advantage of me, while insisting I should be grateful for scraps.
‘This happens far too often, to too many people of colour, many of whom do not have the privilege to walk away from a s**tty situation.
‘Today I am walking away because I have that privilege, and I want to use it to make things better for those who come after me.
‘To my BIPOC peers: don’t settle. Recognise your worth – these publications need us more than we need them.
‘I hope to find platforms that value me, treat me as a three-dimensional person, and provide a safe environment. Bon Appetit video is not that place.’
Her statement comes after Bon Appetit’s editor in chief, Adam Rapoport, resigned following allegations of brownface and people of colour not being paid the same as their white counterparts.
Several other Test Kitchen assistants have spoken out with their experiences of working on the brand also.
Condé Nast has denied the allegations, with a representative telling Business Inside that the video team had worked with the Test Kitchen stars over several weeks ‘to address all concerns and communicate equitable compensation structures, including standardized rate cards, in many ways exceeding SAG/AFTRA standards, for freelance and editorial staff who contribute to video.’
They added: ‘We pay all our employees fairly, and in accordance with their role and experience.
‘Our pay practices are in line with industry standards. To suggest that we are paying individuals differently based on race, gender or any other reason simply isn’t true.’
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