The Best of the Midlands : Women in Food & Hospitality – Recap

On 26th October Women in the Food Industry and University College Birmingham (Birmingham College of Food) joined for The Best of the Midlands — a special event which brought together culinary arts students, educators, chefs and women working across the food and hospitality industry in the Midlands. This inspiring half-day event was all about connection, conversation and celebrating the incredible women shaping the future of food and hospitality across the region.

Meet our panellists

We were delighted to bring together an inspiring line-up of chefs, educators and industry voices to our panels:

• Ash Valenzuela-Heeger – award-winning chef owner of Riverine Rabbit and Great British Menu contestant
• Sophie Hyam – award-winning freelance chef and product developer
• Nitisha Patel – award-winning chef, food consultant, company director & former University College Birmingham student
• Yasmine Selwood – award-winning chef and Culinary Arts Management Lecturer at University College Birmingham
• Chef Daksha – owner of My Green Kitchen and food educator
• Heerum Fleary – Founder and Director of TickEat Group, a specialist food and beverage company connecting brands with buyers across the travel sector
• Melissa Tofani is a former University College Birmingham student whose career has taken her from the world of Michelin-starred restaurants to the wine industry where she is manager at Loki Wine, one of the UK’s most awarded independent wine merchants.
• Sanah Masood – Patisserie Chef Lecturer at Birmingham College of Food.
• Ellen Rafiqi – Culinary Lead at FareShare Midlands – the largest food redistribution charity in the Midlands.

🎤 Three panels, lunch and networking. One inspiring day.

10am – Equality in the Hospitality World
Real conversations about women’s experiences, opportunities and creating a more inclusive hospitality industry.

Sophie Hyam, Nitisha Patel &  Ash Valenzuela-Heeger (pictured above)

Hospitality is an industry full of creativity, talent, passion and opportunity. But we also know that women’s experiences of working in food and hospitality can be very different — depending on the environment they work in, the career path they choose and the opportunities available to them.

We had an honest conversation about what it means to build a career in this industry as a woman: the challenges, the achievements, the opportunities and what needs to change to make hospitality more inclusive for everyone.

Nitisha Patel & Mex Ibrahim (pictured above)

11am – Food for Good
We explored how food and hospitality can be a force for positive change in our communities and society.

Ellen Rafiqi, Chef D and Mex Ibrahim (pictured above)

When we think about food, we often think about what we eat, how we cook it and the pleasure it brings us. But food can be so much more than that. It can influence our health, bring people together, tackle food waste, support people experiencing food poverty and open doors to new opportunities.

Ellen Rafiqi and Chef D explored how food and hospitality can be a force for positive change in our communities and society.

Culinary Education & Careers in Food
Our attendees discovered the many routes a career in food can take – from private cheffing and contract catering to product development, education and beyond.

Melissa Tofani (pictured above)

Where can a career in food and drink actually take you?

When people think about culinary education, they often picture a professional kitchen, a restaurant or becoming a chef. But the industry is so much bigger than that. It includes wine, buying and procurement, product development, teaching, specialist catering, entrepreneurship and many more opportunities.

Sanah Masood, Yasmine Selwood and Heerum Fleary (pictured above)

One of the biggest takeaways of the day was that studying culinary arts doesn’t lock you into one career. Your skills can take you into wine, education, specialist catering, product development, buying, entrepreneurship and so many other areas.

You don’t need to have your whole career mapped out from the beginning. Be curious, try new things, build relationships and stay open to opportunities you might not have considered.

And remember, your culinary education gives you more than technical skills. It can give you a foundation for a career that evolves as you do.

Who attended?

This event was ideal for anyone curious about the creative and commercial world of supper clubs and alternative food businesses, including:

• Culinary arts and hospitality students exploring their future careers
• Chefs and culinary professionals at every stage of their careers
• Food and hospitality professionals working across the wider industry
• Women considering a career change or new direction
• Food entrepreneurs and business owners
• People working in food for social good and community initiatives
• Educators and academic staff
• Anyone who wants to connect with and learn from women across the Midlands food community

Watch this space for more photos and highlights of the day.

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