Women of a Certain Age Panel Event – Monday 20th January 2025

Join Women in the Food Industry in the first floor events room at The Lucky Saint* for an essential panel discussion on “Women of a Certain Age”. We will bring 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. This event aims to foster dialogue, share best practices, explore lived experiences, and develop actionable strategies so that women of all ages have the opportunity to thrive in the sector.

Our panel includes :

Kate Howell is a communications advisor and NED, specialising in food, communities and markets. For 12 years, she was Director of Communications and Engagement at Borough Market, where her work was driven by a strong belief in the central part that food can play in creating communities and driving the sustainability agenda. Kate was responsible for building the market’s worldwide brand, developing its printed, digital and in-person communications, increasing engagement, and ensuring that the thoughts of the institution were regularly heard through the national and international media.

She currently sits on the boards of The Mayor of London’s Markets’ Board and is Vice President of Les Dames Escoffier International, a philanthropic organisation supporting women in hospitality.

Louise Monaghan has over 30 years experience in hospitality. She trained at Westminster Kingsway College and began her career at The Waterside Inn in Bray before moving to the kitchens of The Boulestin Restaurant in Covent Garden under chef Kevin Kennedy. Her front of house journey took her to Le Gavroche, working for Albert Roux under the guidance of the legendary Silvano Giraldin. She later worked for Albert Roux’s consultancy at The Point in New York State, The Grand Hotel Amsterdam, Boucherie Lamartine and Roux Lamartine in Covent Garden Market. As the bakery buyer for Selfridges Food Hall, she was responsible for selecting and sourcing a diverse range of high-quality products. She played a key role in the running of her family-owned restaurants in Southwest London.

Currently, she collaborates with restaurants and businesses to enhance their standards of customer service and contribute industry insights through reviews and articles, including reflections on her return to Le Gavroche in 2023, three decades later.

Radhika Howarth is a London-based author, TV chef, and culinary storyteller who recently debuted her cookbook, Flavours Without Borders: 80 Recipes Connecting Cultures and Cuisines. She is celebrated for her engaging TV appearances, including The World Cook on Amazon Prime and Channel 4’s Double the Money with Sue Perkins, where she marked her 60th birthday on set.

Radhika collaborates with leading brands to create unique recipes and immersive food experiences. Her expertise shines at live events, where she has delivered chef demos at iconic venues such as Trafalgar Square and the Great British Food Festival. In addition to her culinary storytelling, she teaches cooking classes at Divertimenti and serves as a guest chef at the School of Wok. A proud member of the Guild of Food Writers and The Chef’s Forum, Radhika is also the brand ambassador for Hamilton Beach UK and Europe.

Anna Szwichtenberg is Director of People at Off to Work hospitality & event recruiters, shaping HR strategies across five regions and overseeing operations for more than 2-3,000 seasonal workers annually. In previous roles, she partnered with senior leadership to deliver transformational HR strategies. At The Standard Hotel, she enhanced diversity and inclusion efforts and designed engagement programs that boosted employee satisfaction by 20%. During her time at Hakkasan Group, she led global talent initiatives, reduced turnover by 15%, and co-developed “Totem,” a communication app that improved team collaboration across departments.

She is passionate about fostering inclusive, people-first cultures and leveraging her background in business psychology to empower organizations and individuals to achieve their full potential in today’s rapidly evolving business landscape.

Rosalind Rathouse has 50 years of teaching experience both in secondary schools and in her own study-skills practice, plus a huge passion for food and cooking, which led to founding her first food business in the 1980s: Piemaker, making and supplying wholesale pies and cakes to the likes of Harrods, Waitrose and the Orient Express.

With the decline in people passing down home cooking through the generations, in 2003 aged 60, Rosalind decided to combine her enthusiasm for teaching and her love of food to open Cookery School at Little Portland Street. The lasting principles of classic, simple home cooking are principles embedded in the school’s ethos. Rosalind feels very strongly that proper teaching can enthuse even the most unconfident cook. By 2008, the school was thriving, with fully booked classes, courses and corporate events gaining in popularity, so Rosalind took on a second, much larger, kitchen in the same building.

With Rosalind’s knowledge and experience, she has been called upon by the press – particularly the BBC as they are in such close proximity – for her opinion and expertise.

The event is chaired by :

Mex Ibrahim is co-founder of Women in the Food Industry. After almost 8 years as Head of Social Media & Marketing of the UK’s fastest growing food website, Great British Chefs, Mex has delivered a variety of award-winning digital marketing campaigns & now runs her own freelance social media, content creation & digital strategy business. Passionate about women’s equality & female empowerment, she co-founded Women in the Food Industry in April 2019 which became a Community Interest Company in July 2023.

* The events space at Lucky Saint is on the first floor. There is no lift, so unfortunately is not suitable for those needing step-free access.

What you will take away from the evening:

How to break stereotypes The focus of the evening is on the skills and strengths of Women of the Certain Age. The panel will show the unique skills developed through their life experience & how they have contributed to productivity, customer satisfaction, and a happier workplace culture.

Improved Recruitment & Retention How we can prevent age bias in hiring and use age-neutral language which focusses on skills and experience. How to build tailored career paths and make health-conscious work adjustments.

How to create an Age-Inclusive Workplace Culture What having clear diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) policies means to a business. Can we encourage mentorship between younger and older employees.

Learn from Research & Data Research shows that firms with a higher share of employees aged 50+ are more productive. We are facing an ageing population. More than 165,000 workers over 50 joined the hospitality sector in the past 3 years

What Upskilling and Training can mean for your business. We will look at how the food and hospitality businesses can offer training and development opportunities and encourage greater diversity. How can we use new technologies & flexible working to harness new skills leading to more profitable and happier businesses?

Key highlights

This evening is a must-attend event for all hospitality professionals, HR leaders, food producers, press, broadcast media, and advocates looking to create an age inclusive workplace culture. Let’s come together to explore the issues and initiate change. Both women and men are welcome to attend.

A free grazing table & pizza will be available for your enjoyment. Plus a wide variety of beverages can be purchased in The Lucky Saint Pub downstairs.

There will be ample time for Q& A and networking both before & after the panel.