Late January 2026 Newsletter – Women In The Food Industry News & Offers

2026 Events & International Women’s Day Sneak Peek  –  Women In the Food Industry Newsletter

Our latest newsletter from Women in The Food Industry has new events for 2026 and awards to enter for January. 

The best way to keep up to date with all of our news, opportunities, events, features and podcasts is to subscribe to our fortnightly newsletter. You can late January newsletter here.

Deadline extended for the brand new Women In Food & Drink Awards

Know an inspiring woman in the food & drink industry that deserves recognition? You now have until 30th January to submit your entries for the inaugural Women in Food & Drink Awards. Part of the The Quality Food Awards family, this powerful new initiative is celebrating the extraordinary talent and contribution of women across the entire food and drink supply chain.

Spanning every corner of the industry; from farming and manufacturing to retail, hospitality, foodservice and logistics, these awards will shine a light on women who are making an impact, shaping the future, and pushing for progress in one of the UK and Ireland’s most essential sectors.

Mex our co-founder is delighted to be one of the judges for these new awards and said “I’ve seen first-hand how recognition can transform confidence and open doors. The Women in Food & Drink Awards are set to be more than an event – they are a platform for change. They will give women across our sector the visibility they deserve and highlight the power of representation in driving progress.

“I urge everyone to get involved, champion the women who inspire them, and help build a future where equality and opportunity are central to our industry’s success.”

If you are someone, or know someone who is dedicated to championing gender balance and creating a more diverse and inclusive industry, now is the time to submit one or more nominations by Friday 30th January.

Key Dates
Nominations Close: Friday 30 January
Entries open Deadline: Friday 27 Feb
Judging begins: Monday 9 – Friday 13 March
Shortlist revealed: Tuesday 17 March
Awards night & winners revealed: Wednesday 6 May

The Business of Supper Clubs

4th February at University of Greenwich

Looking to start an additional revenue stream for 2026? Then join us for an inspiring panel event on hosting supper clubs in various settings. Join experienced host and award-winning chef Lara Luck, and Kerran “Keke” Kaur co-founder of Seeds of Wild which began as an intimate supper club and has now grown into a chef‑led creative food service rooted in wellness, storytelling and sustainability. Alongside emerging supper club host Smruti Patel, Lara and Keke will give you honest insights & advice on this growing revenue stream.

They will be joined by additional speakers from the University of Greenwich.

Lynette Lisk, Programmes Manager at The Generator, the University of Greenwich’s enterprise incubator, helping students to start, scale and grow their businesses

Aaron Tan, Programme Director of the Help to Grow management course, a government funded programme for SMEs ready for growth.

This panel event is ideal for anyone curious about the creative and commercial world of supper clubs and alternative food businesses.  Whether you’re at the very beginning of your journey or already hosting events and looking to scale, this panel offers practical insights, honest perspectives, and inspiration from hosts who’ve done it themselves.

Early bird tickets are only £7 and students from the University of Greenwich can apply for FREE tickets.

Last chance to win our No Worries, Just Chicken Curries Giveaway

How would you like to WIN a copy of Suki Pantal’s fabulous new cookbook No Worries, Just Chicken Curries? Better still, would you like a copy to give to a friend, too? It’s your last chance to win two copies Suki Pantal’s latest cookbook “No Worries, Just Chicken Curries’! Suki’s labour of love has taken two years to bring to life, is published by Nourish Books. Suki was featured in The Great Cookbook Challenge with Jamie Oliver on Channel 4 and is founder of Suki’s Curries and Spices.

If you’re a winner you’ll enjoy 73 distinct, regional, popular and local chicken recipes from India plus 30 veg sides and accompaniments

You could WIN two copies of Suki’s beautiful hardback book in our giveaway. We have FOUR pairs to give away! Enter on instagram by Noon Monday 19th January.

International Women’s Day 2026 –
Theme & save the dates of some of our events

International Women’s Day (IWD), celebrated annually on 8th March, is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for advancing gender equality. At Women in the Food Industry we celebrate these achievements every single day, but are always keen to increase our in-person events in the week leading up to IWD.

This year is no exception and we are putting together a range of in-person events (currently in London, Surrey and Lancashire), around the theme for 2026 – Give To Gain. The theme emphasises the power of reciprocity and support. Collaboration, not competition has always been our mission. When people, organisations, and communities give generously, opportunities and support for women increase. Giving is not a subtraction. When women thrive, we all rise.

Our programme of events will be running from 2nd & 3rd March in Central London, 5th March in Kew, Surrey and culminating in a brand new event in Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire on 7th March. We are currently putting finishing touches to the events but be sure to look out our next fortnightly newsletter on 1st February with news of how to get involved and register for the IWD events.

We’ll also be taking part in podcasts, sharing opinion pieces and announcing more activities for the week leading up to IWD. Keep an eye on all our social media channels listed below for news.

With this in mind we’ve just launched a brand new broadcast channel on Instagram with tips, offers, opportunities, behind-the-scenes content, and community building outside the algorithm!

To keep up to date with all of our news and offers subscribe to our newsletter here

Thanks.