Women Shaping The Future of Drinks – Spill The Beans Drinks Edition

Women Shaping The Future of Drinks – Presented at Spill The Beans

On 10th February 2026 Mex Ibrahim – co-founder of Women In The Food Industry presented at Spill The Beans first ever drinks edition.   Spill The Beans is the UK’s only event connecting multicultural FMCG brands with supermarket buyers.  Mex was invited to deliver a 10-minute TED-style talk exploring how women are reshaping the drinks landscape.

Speaking to an audience of retail buyers, founders, and industry leaders, one message was clear: the future of drinks is not just changing –  it’s being built by women.

The drinks category has always reflected culture, identity, and social trends. Today’s consumers are looking for more than refreshment; they want purpose, authenticity, wellness, and stories they can connect with. Many of the founders leading this shift are women who spotted emerging consumer needs long before they became mainstream.

Mex began by reflecting on a panel she chaired earlier in September 2025 at the Speciality & Fine Food Fair featuring Anna Chalov, Toni Osoba and Camille Vidal — three industry leaders united by deep expertise, curiosity, and a willingness to challenge convention. Their insights reinforced how innovation often comes from those prepared to rethink traditional category rules.

From there, she highlighted a selection of pioneering women founders transforming drinks across multiple sectors:

• Amanda Thompson (Noughty AF) – a trailblazer of the alcohol-free wine movement who helped normalise not drinking and build a premium global category.

• Praisy Dlamini (Amandla Wines) – blending heritage, empowerment and premium positioning to bring new cultural narratives to the wine aisle.

• Vaani Vetriko (Neitiv) – developing functional drinks rooted in science and designed for modern lifestyles.

• Danielle David (Kromanti Rum) – reclaiming Caribbean rum heritage through storytelling, small-batch production and premiumisation.

Despite operating in different categories, these founders share striking similarities: they solve real consumer problems, build brands with strong narratives, understand their target audience clearly, and are commercially ambitious. They are not creating “passion projects” – they are building scalable, retail-ready businesses.

For supermarket buyers, this represents a significant opportunity. High-growth subcategories such as alcohol-free, functional beverages and premium niche spirits are often being driven by challenger brands founded by women. Backing these businesses early can unlock loyal shoppers, strong repeat purchase rates and meaningful category differentiation.

The takeaway for the room was simple: supporting diverse founders is not about optics – it’s simply a smart commercial strategy.

The future of drinks will be shaped by those willing to spot shifts early, tell authentic stories and innovate boldly. Increasingly, those leaders are women. And the buyers who recognise that now, will be the ones shaping what Britain drinks next.

DOWNLOAD THE FULL WOMEN SHAPING THE FUTURE OF DRINKS PRESENTATION