March Newsletter 2025 – Women in the Food Industry events

March Newsletter 2025 – Women in the Food Industry events

Our latest newsletter from Women in The Food Industry has a recap of all of our events for International Women’s Day  – our biggest programme of events ever including our first event in Yorkshire.  Plus  a roundup of upcoming panel talks and seminars for Food, Drink and Hospitality Week  & discounted tickets for a Fermentation event at Cookery School at Little Portland Street.  

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 view our March newsletter here.

We held a packed programme of events based on the International Women’s Day 2025 Theme – Accelerate Action.

At the current rate of progress, it will take 134 years, which is roughly five generations from now, to reach full gender parity, according to data from the World Economic Forum.

We hope everyone who came to events with dozens of inspiring women on panels in London and  for the first time in York, attended our food photography workshops, and sampled food & drink from all our wonderful food producers went away with actionable thoughts on how we can all act to address gender inequality.

If you missed our events or simply wanted a reminder of what happened take a look at our Instagram round up. Plus there are recaps of all of the activities on our events page.

Have you registered for Food Drink & Hospitality Week? – The UK’s Biggest Celebration of Industry Innovation! 17th – 19th March Excel

Food, Drink & Hospitality Week unites IFE Manufacturing, IFE, The Pub Show, HRC and International Salon Culinaire as the UK’s biggest celebration of industry innovation.

IFE – International Food & Drink Event, is the UK’s largest and most successful event for product sourcing for buyers from across the retail, foodservice, hospitality, wholesale, distribution, import and export sectors.  Our co-founder, Mex Ibrahim, is an Ambassador and this year has helped to work with the organisers to ensure a number of inspiring women are included in a wide seminar programme.

She is very excited to be welcoming Dr. Dolly van Tulleken who will deliver the opening keynote at IFE on Monday 17th March, discussing how meaningful change in food policy can create lasting health benefits, improve nutrition, and reduce the strain on our healthcare system.

On Wednesday 19th March, Mex is chairing an all female panel examining the challenges companies face in identifying and addressing forced labour, human trafficking, and exploitative practices within their operations and supplier networks.

On Tuesday 18th March, Mex is chairing a session at Hotel, Restaurant & Catering – in HRC’s TechX Theatre, where industry experts will explore how to unlock the full power of your CRM (Customer Relationship Marketing) to drive personalised marketing, boost guest engagement, and increase revenue.

Your FREE Trade registration gives you access to all of the five shows over all three days at Excel – 17-19th March – but don’t forget to register for FREE by Sunday 16th March (after that date a fee applies!).

Discounted Tickets to Fermentation & The Gourmet Gut Monday 31st March 6pm – 8.30pm – Tickets only £10 (usual price £15)

We’ve teamed up with our good friends Cookery School at Little Portland Street, to bring you an exclusive discount to their popular “Conversations Around The Cookery School Table” series.

Their next event takes place on March 31st 2025 from 6pm-8.30pm. In Fermentation & The Gourmet Gut we will be discussing the history of ferments and their culinary uses alongside health in an evening of fermentation at Conversations Around the Cookery School. With kombucha, organic red wine and fantastic fermented nibbles to match, it promises to be an eye opening evening of science and culture.

Meet the fermentation fanatics! On the panel is Chantelle Nicholson, chef and owner of Green Michelin Starred restaurant, Apricity, Chetanya Alexander – founder of naturally fermented Tickles Pickles ,  Dr Johnny Drain – a chef with a PhD on a mission to unlock the secret science of flavour, fermentation and sustainability, Ryan Walker, head of fermentation at  London’s leading zero-waste restaurant, Silo, James Kinross Associate Professor of Surgery at Imperial College London and author of Dark Matter: The new science of the microbiome and Dan Lepard Australian baker, food writer and sourdough expert.

Visit Cookery School at Little Portland Street to book tickets  – Women in the Food Industry subscribers & members need to enter the discount code in our newsletter to get tickets for only £10 (usual price £15) and all surplus goes to the charity Magic Breakfast.

This month’s Chefs on The Pass Podcast

Our Co-founder had the pleasure of being interviewed by Phil Street in this month’s Craft Guild of Chefs Podcast

Mex shares her career trajectory, which includes her early days at Yahoo!, blogging about London, and playing a pivotal role at Great British Chefs. Hear about the innovative “Nom Nom Nom” competition and how it inspired a generation of food bloggers to swap their pens for pans.

The heart of the episode dives into the inception and evolution of Women in the Food Industry. Mex talks about her friendship with Chef Asma Khan and their mutual passion for uplifting women in the culinary space.

Phil and Mex also tackle the pressing issue of gender inequality in the culinary field, discussing eye-opening statistics and what it truly takes to foster an inclusive environment. From empathic leadership to cultural shifts, discover actionable steps that can drive meaningful change in your workspace.

Plus, do you know how stand-up comedians and chefs might have more in common than you think? Whether you’re in the food industry or simply a fan of empowering stories, this episode offers a generous serving of inspiration, practical advice, and a sprinkle of humour.

You can listen to podcast on Spotify.

International Women’s Day –  Opinion Pieces

For New Food Magazine our co-founder of Women In The Food Industry, Mex, argues that gender equality in food production is not just a moral issue but a business necessity. With progress slow and setbacks increasing, the industry must act now to drive meaningful change.

The first-ever Women in the Food Industry (WIFI) Yorkshire event is set to be an inspiring and empowering gathering and we want to give a big thanks to The Grand, York for being our hosts.

The recent furore around Jason Atherton’s comments in The Times & what was and wasn’t said about his views on sexism in professional kitchens has led to lots of debate and indeed action by 70 predominantly women chefs. For Speciality & Fine Food Fair Mex explores gender inequality and how it isn’t just a women’s issue, but an industry-wide challenge that needs EVERYONE at the table…

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