The Best of the Midlands: Women in Food & Hospitality

The Best of the Midlands: Women in Food & Hospitality takes place at University College Birmingham on Monday 26 October, from 10am to 2pm. It's presented by Women in the Food Industry (WIFI) as a half-day gathering for culinary arts students, educators, chefs and women working across the Midlands food and hospitality industry, built around connection, conversation and celebrating the women shaping the region's future.

The morning is structured as three panels: 'Equality in the Hospitality World', 'Food for Good' and 'Culinary Education & Careers in Food'. Beyond the panels, the event aims to showcase the creative and commercial world of supper clubs and alternative food businesses, and to share real-world career stories and insights from women working across the region. The panels are followed by a buffet lunch and networking.

The line-up brings together a broad cross-section of the local scene. Ash Valenzuela-Heeger, of Riverine Rabbit and a Great British Menu contestant, is joined by freelance chef and product developer Sophie Hyam, and Yasmine Selwood, a Culinary Arts Management Lecturer at University College Birmingham. Chef Daksha runs My Green Kitchen, and Nitisha Patel is a food consultant and former University College Birmingham student. Heerum Fleary is the founder and director of TickEat Group, Melissa Tofani manages Loki Wine, and Sanah Masood is a Patisserie Chef Lecturer at Birmingham College of Food. Ellen Rafiqui joins from FareShare Midlands, where she is Culinary Lead.

It's held at the Birmingham College of Food on Summer Row, B3 1JB. Early bird tickets are £10, and University of Birmingham students can apply for free tickets. The whole thing runs from 10am to 2pm, so it's a morning and early afternoon affair rather than a full day.