Our mission is to empower women, shine a spotlight on what they are doing for the UK food industry and build a community of women who give each other support, confidence and strength.
About
We believe you can’t be what you can’t see. Championing and celebrating women in the UK food industry is at the heart of what we do. This is THE place for conversation, insight, news, events, podcasts, stories, networking and community support across all sectors of the food industry.
Subscribe to our newsletter and you can support our community with a small annual fee.
With your help we aim to:
• Increase the awareness of all the roles women play in the industry
• Show the wide range of roles and opportunities for women
• Connect women across all sectors for conversation and support
• Be a resource and a place where women can get the help they need
We want to see a world in which the food industry treats women as equal, champions inclusion and diversity and actively helps women of all ages and backgrounds fulfil their dreams and ambitions to work in food. We also want to help move women up the ranks and become strong leaders and role models in the industry.
Led by co-founder, Mex Ibrahim with the valuable help of Ambassadors: Irini Tzortzoglou, Antonia Lloyd, Shelley Sofier and Emma White, we all share the heart-felt belief that collaboration is better than competition and we welcome the support of both men and women to help our aims.
Women in the Food Industry became a Community Interest Company (CIC) on 18th July 2023 and doesn’t exist to make a profit – we work towards a purpose, reinvesting any surplus money into achieving our goal.
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If you’re a student or under 25, email us (hello@womeninthefoodindustry.com) with proof of age or student ID and we’ll send you a discount code.
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If you like what we do, but you are not a woman in the food industry, you can still join our community for only £25 a year.
Events
Fermentation & The Gourmet Gut – Tasting & Panel – 31st March 2025
We have teamed up with our friends at Cookery School at Little Portland Street to bring you discounted tickets to their brand new series of monthly events. In Fermentation & the Gourmet Gut you can enjoy discounted tickets for an expert panel of chefs, doctors and producers discussing the history of ferments and their culinary uses alongside health. Enjoy the panel with kombucha, organic red wine and fantastic fermented nibbles to match
Monday, 31st March 2025
Cookery School at Little Portland Street
15b Little Portland Street
London
W1W 8BW
Recap – Bringing Women To The Table – Women in Food & Politics – 10th March 2025
On Monday 10th March 2025, from 6pm there was a FREE International Women’s Day collaboration between Women in The Food Industry and Centenary Action.
Inspired by the suffragettes and suffragists, Centenary Action was established by Professor Helen Pankhurst CBE, granddaughter of Sylvia and great-granddaughter of Emmeline, in 2018 to mark the centenary of some women getting the right to vote and to take action over the following 10 years to deliver a gender equal parliament by 2028.
Monday, 10th March 2025
Tomorrow Group
London Johnson Building
77 Hatton Garden
London
EC1N 8JS
Recap – Celebrating Women in The Food Industry Panel & Lunch at The Grand, York – 5th March 2025
The first-ever Women in the Food Industry (WIFI) Yorkshire event is set to be an inspiring and empowering gathering, bringing together some of the region’s most accomplished women in food and drink. This new event will feature an exceptional line-up of speakers, each sharing their personal journey to success.
Wednesday, 5th March 2025
The Grand, York
Station Rise
North Yorkshire
YO1 6GD
Recap – Strong in Sustainability + Standing Up – International Women’s Day Panels – 4th March 2025
Women in the Food Industry held two inspiring panel events on 4th March for International Women’s Day. Discover how three women, who now work in the food industry, have experienced the challenges of working in predominantly male environments. How did they make themselves heard & stand up for their views? You also met three experts in sustainability who are showing how the future of our food systems depends on a diverse & empathetic workplaces and leadership.
Tuesday, 4th March 2025
Halifax HQ
First Floor
118-132 New Oxford Street
London, WC1A 1HL
Recap – Elevate Your Food Photography Workshops for International Women’s Day – 4th March 2025
Join professional food photographer Rupa for two immersive, hands-on workshops designed specifically for food entrepreneurs, bloggers & chefs. With personalised guidance, live demonstrations, and interactive practice, you’ll leave equipped to transform your food photography, making your dishes look as enticing on screen as they are in person.
Tuesday, 4th March 2025
Halifax HQ
First Floor
118-132 New Oxford Street
London, WC1A 1HL
Recap of Celebrating Women In The Food Industry – Three IWD 2025 Panels at MM Mayfair – 3rd March 2025
At Women in the Food Industry we held three unmissable panel events. From the challenges of book publishing, to women using food to improve our world, through to what it takes create a successful food brand – attendees took away practical insights from women who have experienced highs (and lows) within their specialist areas. Each panel was two hours allowing us take a deep dive into the issues which will truly #AccelerateAction.
Monday, 3rd March 2025
First Floor,
Mercato Mayfair
St Mark's Church
North Audley Street
London W1K 6ZA
Innovative Ways to Build Confidence & Overcome Challenges in Hospitality – Monday 24th February – Craft Guild of Chefs Wellness Event
Join Craft Guild of Chefs Wellness Ambassador Andy Aston and an inspiring panel of female industry leaders including Women in the Food Industry co-founder Mex Ibrahim as they share personal stories of resilience, building confidence, and achieving success in the hospitality industry. Discover how they’ve tackled challenges head-on, and leave with practical, actionable tips to boost your confidence and support your colleagues in doing the same. This session promises to be both insightful and inspiring.
Monday, 24th February 2025
Extract Coffee Roasters, London
5 Morocco Street
London SE1 3HB
Women of a Certain Age Panel Event – Monday 20th January 2025 – Event Recap
On January 20th 2025 Women in the Food Industry held an essential panel discussion on “Women of a Certain Age” on the first floor events room at The Lucky Saint. The event brought together industry leaders and experts to explore the critical issue of an ageing population and how older women are regarded in hospitality, the media and the food industry. Alongside the panel the lively audience at the sold-out event shared best practices, explored lived experiences, and started the discussion towards actionable strategies so that women of all ages have the opportunity to thrive in the sector.
Monday, 20th January 2025
First Floor
The Lucky Saint
58 Devonshire Street
London W1W 5EA
News
26/03/2025
The Roux Scholarship 2025 national final sees 50% female chefs in the line up
For the first time ever, the national final of The Roux Scholarship sees gender parity in its chefs. Nikoletta Theofylaktidou, Erin Jackson Yates and Katherine Altham all qualified thanks to the high standard of their dishes – which used red gurnard, mussels, dulse and parsnips – that they cooked in the regional finals on 6th March.
26/03/2025
Women in the Food Industry Yorkshire: A Celebration of Talent, Resilience, and Innovation
On March 5th, the Grand Hotel in York played host to the first-ever Women in the Food Industry Yorkshire event – a landmark gathering that brought together some of the region’s most accomplished women in food, drink, and hospitality. This inspiring and empowering event, provided a platform to celebrate achievements, discuss challenges, and build a stronger network of industry professionals. Cara Houchen – Director of Spotty Media (who chaired the panel event) reports on the afternoon.
20/03/2025
Lugma by Noor Murad Cookbook review by Antonia Lloyd : Dried limes at the ready
LUGMA, meaning ‘a bite’ in Arabic, is an utterly inviting new cookbook from Bahraini-British chef and author Noor Murad. Our Ambassador of Women In the Food Industry and Writer, Antonia Lloyd, reviews a book filled with evocative recipes that transport you to a haven of dried limes, spice, chilli heat, steaming rice, and the aromatic scent of incense.
15/03/2025
Great British Menu (GBM) returned to our screens in January for season 20. The BBC2 show puts the nation’s most talented chefs to the test. At Women in the Food Industry we are continuing our series of interviews with the strong female line-up of chefs from across Britain competing to serve their dish at the final banquet. Our co-founder, Mecca Ibrahim, interviewed Eve Seemann, Head Chef at Green Michelin Starred Apricity in Mayfair.
10/03/2025
March Newsletter 2025 – Women in the Food Industry events
Our March 2025 newsletter from Women in The Food Industry has a recap of all of our events for International Women’s Day – our biggest programme of events ever including our first event in Yorkshire. Plus a roundup of upcoming panel talks and seminars for Food, Drink and Hospitality Week & discounted tickets for a Fermentation event at Cookery School at Little Portland Street.
06/03/2025
Meet Emily Roux – the new Star in Town
This February Emily Roux was awarded her first Michelin star for her Notting Hill restaurant Caractère with her husband, Diego Ferrari, where they serve a menu taking influence from Diego’s Italian and Emily’s French heritage with an emphasis on relaxed dining. Women In the Food Industry Ambassador, Antonia Lloyd, interviewed trailblazer Emily to find out more about her road to success, future ambitions, and what’s coming up this spring.
01/03/2025
Great British Menu (GBM) returned to our screens in January for season 20. The BBC2 show puts the nation’s most talented chefs to the test. At Women in the Food Industry we are continuing our series of interviews with the strong female line-up of chefs from across Britain competing to serve their dish at the final banquet. Our co-founder, Mecca Ibrahim, interviewed Sally Abé, chef consultant at The Pem Restaurant in the Conrad London Hotel in St. James’s.
24/02/2025
IWD Newsletter 2025 – Women in the Food Industry events for International Women’s Day
Our latest newsletter from Women in The Food Industry has news of all of our events for International Women’s Day Events for 2025 – our biggest programme of events ever including our first event in Yorkshire. Plus your chance to win the new Great British Menu cookbook & a free panel event with our friends at Centenary Action.
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