Business Growth & Expansion – Panel & Lunch at The Grand, York – 24th June 2025

Are you a woman in the food industry thinking of starting or growing your own business, expanding your customer base, or taking that next bold step – but unsure how to do it without losing what makes it special?

Our next Women in the Food Industry  Yorkshire event is all about business growth and expansion. Join us as we dive into the realities of scaling up without burning out or risking it all. Hear from inspiring female entrepreneurs who are in the thick of growth, have built successful large-scale operations, or have navigated the path to a profitable exit.

This event at The Cookery School at The Grand, York is your chance to explore when and how to grow, how to avoid common pitfalls, and how to build the solid foundations and structure your business needs to thrive. Whether you’re just starting out, on the edge of expansion, or stuck in a growth plateau, this event is designed to give you real, honest insights and the confidence to move forward.

AGENDA

10.30am – Arrival & Registration

11am-12pm – Business Growth York Panel event & Q&A chaired by Cara Houchen – Director of Take A Bite Media

12.pm – 1.30pm – Join us for lunch and networking

Join our panellists including: Ruth Hansom Rigby , Fatima Patel , and Saskia Roskam & Valda Goodfellow.

MEET THE BUSINESS GROWTH YORK PANELLISTS

Ruth Hansom Rigby is a talented British chef who discovered her love for cooking while still at school. Although she once considered becoming a doctor, taking part in the Springboard Future Chef programme helped her realise that food was her true passion. At 16, she moved to London to study at Westminster Kingsway College, where she trained under top chef Frederick Forster. She began her career at the Boundary Restaurant, then spent five years at The Ritz London, where she completed a top-level apprenticeship, rose to Chef de Partie, and was part of the team that earned the Ritz its first Michelin Star. During that time, she also won the Craft Guild of Chefs Young National Chef of the Year competition.

Since then, Ruth has led kitchens at several well-known restaurants, including The Princess of Shoreditch, where she and her team earned 3 AA Rosettes and a national award and The Swinton Estate. In 2024, she took the next big step in her career by opening her own restaurant, Hansom, in the heart of Bedale, North Yorkshire. Set in a beautiful Grade II-listed building, the restaurant offers a seasonal tasting menu all focused on the best local produce from land, sea, and earth. Ruth is passionate about modern British cuisine, supporting small producers, and creating memorable dining experiences. She’s also appeared on shows like Million Pound Menu, Saturday Kitchen, and Great British Menu, and continues to mentor young chefs through school programmes and charities like Springboard.

Fatima Patel – Managing Editor of Asian Standard News and founder and CEO of Bradford Curry Awards and conferences.

With over a decade of entrepreneurial excellence, Fatima is a dynamic trailblazer in the UK’s media and cultural industries. As the visionary founder of RF Media & Publishing Ltd, a company proudly named after her and her mother, Rokaiya, Fatima has built one of the largest and most influential Asian media empires in the North of England. RF Media & Publishing is the UK’s only media house solely owned and led by women, producing a suite of widely respected print newspapers that serve and celebrate the South Asian community.

Beyond her media accomplishments, Fatima is a leading advocate for women’s empowerment in the food industry. She is the driving force behind the prestigious Curry Awards and a series of high-profile culinary events in Bradford, a city internationally known for its rich food culture. Through these platforms, she not only champions culinary excellence but also creates meaningful opportunities for women entrepreneurs to gain recognition, build networks, and grow sustainable food businesses.

Fatima’s work continues to shape narratives, open doors, and amplify the voices of underrepresented women across media and the food industries. Her leadership is both bold and deeply rooted in community, heritage, and the belief that representation matters.

Valda Goodfellow has dedicated her life to business and manufacturing in the North East of England. Starting out in the male-dominated manufacturing sector of the 1970s, she achieved her goal of running a factory in 1996 when she became Managing Director of premium sausage manufacturer Mr. Lazenby’s. Under her leadership, the company moved from loss-making to profitable, ultimately securing a successful sale to a UK plc.

After a period in consultancy, Valda joined her husband Paul Goodfellow’s business, CCS Ltd., becoming MD and 50% shareholder. Together they grew the company rapidly before selling to Bunzl plc in 2008. She remained with Bunzl for over three years, managing CCS and three other businesses. She left in 2011 to return to entrepreneurial life.

In the midst of the 2012 recession, Valda and Paul launched G&G, a hospitality-focused business using the proceeds from their previous sale. It quickly became the go-to supplier for restaurant tableware, gaining a reputation for excellence. Their success attracted the attention of global group ECF, which acquired a majority stake in 2019 and the remainder in 2022.

Watch this space for more Business Growth York panellists

This event at Yorkshire’s luxury 5-star Edwardian Hotel, The Grand, is a must-attend event for all food producers, chefs, hospitality professionals, influencers, bloggers and those with a strong interest in the food industry.

There will be plenty of time for valuable networking at lunch plus Q&A .

Business Growth York Event Sponsors

The Grand, York

The Joy of Creativity

The Joy of Food

Myth Drinks

Food Savers

FUTURE EVENTS

With this new series of WIFI events all to be held in Yorkshire over 2025, attendees can look forward to honest conversations, networking opportunities, and the chance to be part of a supportive community dedicated to championing women in food.

Do sign up to Women In The Food Industry’s newsletter to be the first to hear of the events.

You may also like our recap on – Celebrating Women in The Food Industry Panel & Lunch at The Grand, York – 5th March 2025