Our mid March newsletter  has news of brand new events for late March and April, recaps of Women In the Food Industry events for International Women’s Day, podcasts we took part in for #IWD2026 and how to join our sessions at free trade shows in March and April.

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In celebration of International Women’s Day, the focus of this episode of Qs Cast is Women Driving Change in Food & Drink. Marketing & Content Manager Ella Jackson is joined by 3 inspirational women from the world of food and drink: Mex Ibrahim, Co-Founder of Women in the Food Industry; Laura Emson, National Director of People at CAMRA and Advisory Board Member of Women On Tap
and Ayesha Kalaji, Chef Patron at Queen of Cups.

On Food Rebels, AJ Sharp is joined by Mex Ibrahim, founder of Women in the Food Industry, an organisation championing equity, visibility and real opportunity for women across every corner of food and drink.

On this episode of Feeding Ambitions, we sit down with Mex Ibrahim, co-founder of Women in The Food Industry, to talk about what it really takes to build a food & drink brand in today’s market.

At Women in the Food Industry we are continuing our series of interviews with the strong female line-up of chefs from across Britain competing to serve their dish at the final banquet. Our co-founder, Mecca Ibrahim, interviewed chef Ash Valenzuela-Heeger who opened Riverine Rabbit in January 2024, a 12-seat open kitchen in Stirchley.  Her restaurant was awarded a Bib Gourmand in the 2025 Michelin Guide, and in the same year, Ash received the Michelin Young Chef Award and was shortlisted for Best Chef at the 2025 British Restaurant Awards.

At Women in the Food Industry we are continuing our series of interviews with the strong female line-up of chefs on Great British Menu from across Britain competing to serve their dish at the final banquet. Our co-founder, Mecca Ibrahim, interviewed private chef Nikita Pathakji creating bespoke menus for her clients, using all her skills garnered over her experience in Michelin kitchens.

Great British Menu (GBM) returned to our screens on 24 February 2026 for season 21. The BBC2 show puts the nation’s most talented chefs to the test. At Women in the Food Industry we are continuing our series of interviews with the strong female line-up of chefs from across Britain competing to serve their dish at the final banquet. Our co-founder, Mecca Ibrahim, interviewed private chef  Louisa Ellis who is creating bespoke tasting menus for her clients utilising the skills she learnt from working in Michelin-starred kitchens.

Great British Menu (GBM) returned to our screens on 24 February 2026 for season 21. The BBC2 show puts the nation’s most talented chefs to the test. At Women in the Food Industry we are continuing our series of interviews with the strong female line-up of chefs from across Britain competing to serve their dish at the final banquet. Our co-founder, Mecca Ibrahim, interviewed yacht chef Hannah Rose – the youngest female head chef working in the superyacht world.

It is another great year for women chefs in The Roux Scholarship: four women from establishments across the UK are getting ready to compete at the regional finals on 5th March 2026. Among them are two chefs, Katherine Altham and Nikoletta Theofylaktidou, who both competed in the national final in 2025. They are joined by two other women chefs, Rosie Bull from The Black Swan at Oldstead, and Jasmin Layzell who both entered for the first time this year.

Now in its 21st anniversary year, BBC Two’s Great British Menu welcomes Phil Wang to the judging panel.  The cookery competition for the very best professional chefs has been filming the latest series in Stratford upon Avon and will return to our screens on 24 February 2026. Read on to find out more and discover the theme for 2026.

On 10th February 2026 Mex Ibrahim – co-founder of Women In The Food Industry presented at Spill The Beans first ever drinks edition.   Spill The Beans is the UK’s only event connecting multicultural FMCG brands with supermarket buyers.  Mex was invited to deliver a 10-minute TED-style talk exploring how women are reshaping the drinks landscape.

Women in the Food Industry are trade supporters of IFE – the ultimate business event for food & drink product discovery, bringing together three inspiring days of innovation, shaking up the sector.  The IFE seminar programme includes two panels led by Women in The Food Industry: Mood Busting Nutrition on 30 March & Plant-based Food Transformation on 31 March. Find out more