Women Who Scale Food & Drink – Wednesday 11th November 2026

Women in the Food Industry and the NatWest Accelerator are delighted to launch Women Who Scale Food & Drink – a new series of events bringing together inspiring women entrepreneurs and business experts to share the honest stories, practical lessons and experiences behind building and growing successful businesses.

Whether you’re at the beginning of your entrepreneurial journey, building a business from the kitchen table, developing a brand, looking for new customers or ready to take your business to the next level, this event is designed to give you practical ideas and inspiration that you can take away and put into action.

And while our speakers have built their businesses in the food and drink world, the lessons they share are relevant to any woman looking to start, grow or scale a business.

What can you expect?

This launch event will feature an inspiring panel conversation with three women who have taken very different entrepreneurial journeys:

Karen Green

Retail Food & FMCG Expert | Host, The Friday Accelerator Podcast

Karen has extensive experience helping food and drink businesses grow commercially, secure retail opportunities and navigate the FMCG landscape. She is also the host of The Friday Accelerator Podcast, sharing insights and advice to help ambitious businesses move forward.

Sohini Bannerjee

Founder, Smoke and Lime

Sohini is the founder of Smoke and Lime, a supper club born in a one-bedroom flat in North London and inspired by the cooking traditions of Bengali matriarchs. She combines heritage, storytelling and a zero-waste approach to create seasonal, inventive food experiences that bring people together around the table.

Ramona Hazan

Founder, Ramona’s Heavenly Hummus

Ramona is the founder of Ramona’s Heavenly Hummus, now the UK’s No.1 hummus brand. Her entrepreneurial journey offers valuable insights into building a consumer brand, developing a product and successfully moving from small-scale beginnings towards national growth.

Mex Ibrahim

Co-Founder, Women in the Food Industry & Chair of the Panel

Mex Ibrahim is a gender equality advocate and co-founder of Women in the Food Industry, a non-profit social enterprise advancing inclusion, leadership and empowerment across the sector. With expertise spanning sustainability, entrepreneurship and ethical eating, Mex is also a trustee of School Food Matters, a member of The Guild of Food Writers and an advisory board member at New Food Magazine.

What will you take away?

We’ll explore questions such as:

• How do you turn an idea into a viable business?
• What does it really take to move from small beginnings to growth?
• How do you build a brand that people remember?
• When is the right time to take the next step?
• How do you find and understand your customers?
• What does it take to get your product or service in front of bigger customers and buyers?
• What are the challenges of scaling – and what do you wish you’d known earlier?
• How do you build confidence and resilience as a founder?
• What support is available when you’re ready to grow?

Expect honest stories, practical advice and plenty of opportunity to ask questions and connect with other ambitious women in business.

About Women Who Scale Food & Drink

Women Who Scale Food & Drink is a new quarterly event series from Women in the Food Industry and the NatWest Accelerator.

The series brings together inspiring entrepreneurs, experienced business leaders and ambitious founders to share practical knowledge, build connections and explore what it really takes to grow a successful business.

The events will combine inspiring speakers with practical insights, networking and opportunities to discover the support available through the NatWest Accelerator and She Scales.

Come along to be inspired, make connections and take your next step. Find out more from the link below.

Places are limited – register now to join us on 11 November