International Women's Day 2024

International Women's Day

Since the opening of Fortnum's Food & Drink Studio last year, we've had the privilege of meeting many inspirational and talented women. They've filled our days with masterclasses, engaging discussions, supper clubs, and beyond, all while sharing their wealth of knowledge and expertise. 

International Women's Day is on 8th March, and we want to share the stories of just a few of those incredible women. 

Ali Honour

Acclaimed Cork-based chef, Ali Honour is a champion for the UN's Beans Is How campaign, which aims to double global consumption of beans by 2028. Throughout her many years running businesses and working in senior food & hospitality roles, Ali has always promoted seasonal, Irish and zero-waste eating with an emphasis on real foods and a low-processed diet. Ali joined us in the Studio on the 5th March where she teamed up with Amelia Christie-Miller, founder of the Bold Bean Co, to raise awareness of lesser-known varieties of beans and to prove that beans are as worthy on a fine dining plate as any other ingredients.   

Sam Evans & Shauna Guinn

The Welsh duo behind the restaurant ‘Hang Fire’ have been a couple for 23 years and working together since 2012. Shauna was a social worker and Samantha was a graphic designer, but after falling in love with America's Deep South on a road trip in 2011, they gave up their old lives all up to pursue their passion for barbecue food, music and travelling. Passionate, warm and unafraid to challenge stereotypes, they are paving the way for other female chefs to be authentically themselves. In June last year they joined us in the Food & Drink Studio to talk about the power of food in breaking down barriers – and to prove that there are more similarities between Welsh and American food than you might think!

Maria Bradford 

Maria Bradford was born and raised in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone. Having moved to the UK in her teens, Maria leaned on cooking as a cure for homesickness. To her, recreating the food of her childhood allowed her to retain an important part of her identity and continue to feel connected to those she left behind. She now lives in Kent, where she runs Shwen Shwen (meaning ‘fancy’ in her native Krio), a catering company and online store specialising in Sierra Leonean food. Her debut cookbook, Sweet Salone, was published in 2023 and we were thrilled to be able to host her for a series of events in the Studio last summer. Drawing on traditional recipes but allowing people to experiment with local produce, she plays a big role in promoting West African culture and cuisine in the UK. 

Juliane Caillouette Noble 

Originally from San Francisco but settled in the UK, Juliane is the Managing Director of the Sustainable Restaurant Association. With a background in nutrition and a love of good food, her career has been deeply engaged in global food policy issues ranging from sustainable farming and urban growing to food education and school food systems. Juliane has designed food education tools and resources for teachers, developed local and global campaigns, and served as a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for School Food in the UK. Last summer she was a panellist at one of our In Conversation With events, looking at the future of at-home food delivery services.

Ravneet Gill

Junior Bake Off co-host Ravneet Gill has worked as a pastry chef for over ten years. After completing a Psychology degree, she studied at Le Cordon Bleu before working her way up the ranks in different pastry sections all over London. In May 2018 she set up an organisation called Countertalk; a platform designed to help connect chefs, provide education and promote healthy work environments in the hospitality industry. Through Countertalk, Ravneet holds much-lauded food-based events, industry talks and aims to create a more equal and supportive workplace to help foster new talent. She joined us in the Food & Drink Studio for a discussion about mental health in the food industry.