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Ambassador of Women In the Food Industry, Antonia Lloyd, talks to Clare Smyth MBE, the first and only British woman with 3 Michelin stars, at her London restaurant Core by Clare Smyth, and the new President of the Bocuse D’Or UK.

Following the fantastic news that Core by Clare Smyth secured a third Michelin star this week, Bocuse d’Or UK is delighted to announce that she has accepted the role of Global Chef Ambassador for the Bocuse d’Or UK.

Acclaimed chef Léa Linster won a Michelin star in 1987 and owns three restaurants in Luxembourg: Restaurant Léa Linster, Au Quai de la Gare and Kaschthaus. She became a gold medal winner of the 1989 Bocuse d’Or, which made her the first  and to date only woman to ever accomplish this.  Our co-founder, Mecca Ibrahim, was lucky enough to speak to Mrs Linster about her inspirations and how she put Luxembourgian cuisine on a global map with her achievements.

We had the wonderful opportunity to catch up with Head Chef, Ruth Hansom, of Pomona’s on Hereford Road in Notting Hill who  joined the line up of chefs who competed in the Bocuse d’Or National Selection on 30th September at The Restaurant Show. The Bocuse d’Or,  is the world’s largest and most prestigious cooking contest and Ruth was the only female chef to make the finals to represent the UK. Our co-founder, Mecca Ibrahim, spoke to Ruth about the competition behind the scenes at London’s busy Olympia Exhibition Centre in our podcast and interview.

We were delighted to hear there is finally a female chef in with a chance of representing the UK in the Bocuse d’Or, the world’s largest and most prestigious cooking contest. Head Chef, Ruth Hansom, of  Pomona’s on Hereford Road in Notting Hill has joined the line up of chefs who will compete in the Bocuse d’Or National Selection.

Michelle Diederichs, founder of Koyah PR and promotions manager for Bocuse d’Or Team UK and is a member of the Bocuse d’Or UK Academy Board. Michelle will be joining our panel on Recognising and Rewarding Success at Tredwells for our first event for International Women’s Day celebrations.

The Young National Chef of the Year (YNCOTY) awards were announced on Tuesday 8th October at a lively ceremony at London’s Hippodrome Casino in Leicester Square. Taking the runner-up spot was Rosie Welch from L’Enclume with Keira Carolan from Simon Rogan’s Henrock taking the third place spot. The  VIP Awards evening took place in front of some of the industry’s biggest names.

The Craft Guild of Chefs Graduate Awards 2024 concluded on 9th August with a ceremony at Fortnum & Mason.  Nine talented young chefs were celebrated for reaching and important milestone in their careers. Following a challenging five-hour Graduate Awards final exam at the University of West London, those chefs who achieved the all-important pass mark. Our co-founder Mex Ibrahim celebrated with the women who reached the finals and the examiners involved.

There are two female chefs competing in Young National Chef of the Year (YNCOTY) finals and both are new to The Craft Guild of Chefs’ competition. Keira Carolan and Rosie Welch both work in restaurants by Simon Rogan in the Lake District.  They were part of twelve talented young chefs who received a special delivery on July 31st 2024. The exclusive YNCOTY chef’s jacket from Continental Chef Supplies (CCS) confirmed the chefs had done enough to impress the judges and earn one of the much sought-after spots in the final which takes place on Tuesday 8th October.

As Mental Health Awareness Week approaches (13-19 May 2024) Ambassador of Women In the Food Industry and Writer, Antonia Lloyd, talks to the Women Head Chefs making waves in their restaurant kitchens and why wellbeing matters.

Adejoké Bakare’s Michelin Star is an achievement that has made history. In a glittering awards ceremony on 5th February 2024, she became the first black woman in the UK to win a star and the second black woman in the world to win one.  Chishuru winning its first star marks Adejoké’s  journey from running a north London supper club to her West End restaurant which has helped bring West African cooking into the mainstream.

We are delighted that Great British Menu (GBM) is returning to our screens on 24th March 2021 for series 16. The BBC Two show puts the nation’s most talented chefs to the test. At Women in the Food Industry we were pleased to see women making up almost a third of the chefs from across Britain who will be competing to serve their dish at the final banquet.