International Women’s Day 2026: The women leading UK hospitality

International Women’s Day, marked globally on Sunday, March 8, 2026, provides hospitality with more than a symbolic moment.

It is an opportunity to celebrate leadership, recognise progress and reflect on where structural change is still needed.

Across the UK restaurant and hotel sector, women are increasingly visible as chefs, operators, sommeliers and industry leaders.

They are opening restaurants, leading hotel groups, shaping sustainability strategies and influencing national food culture through television and competitions.

Yet representation at the very top remains uneven. Within Michelin-starred kitchens, female head chefs remain a minority. Visibility has improved, but parity is still a work in progress.

International Women’s Day offers a moment not just to recognise achievements but to amplify voices that are shaping the future of the industry.

Women Leading the Way

Across kitchens, hotels and dining rooms, women are occupying positions of authority that were once considered exceptional. Today they are defining modern hospitality leadership.

• Clare Smyth, chef patron of Core by Clare Smyth, remains the first British woman to hold three Michelin stars.
• Kalindi Juneja, CEO of PoB Hotels, is helping shape the future of luxury hospitality by building stronger pathways for women in senior leadership roles across the hotel sector.
• Cathryn Bell, managing director of Grove of Narberth, has steered one of Wales’ leading hospitality businesses with resilience and clarity during a challenging economic climate. She recently won AA's sommelier of the year award.
• Lisa Goodwin-Allen, chef and broadcaster, continues to champion modern northern cooking while maintaining a strong presence on television and industry platforms.
• Marion Pépin, restaurant director at Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, leads one of London’s most prestigious three-star dining rooms, representing excellence in front-of-house leadership.

 

 

 

 

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• Roxane Dupuy, executive head sommelier at Row on 5, represents a new generation of wine leadership - commercially aware, technically accomplished and central to the modern guest experience. She won the 2026 Michelin sommelier of the year gong.
• Chantelle Nicholson, chef patron of Apricity, has become a leading voice in sustainable gastronomy, demonstrating how environmentally conscious cooking can sit at the heart of a restaurant’s identity.

Together these leaders demonstrate how far the industry has progressed - and how important continued visibility and opportunity remain.

Women Shaping the National Conversation

Leadership in hospitality today extends beyond restaurants. Women are also shaping the national culinary conversation through broadcasting, competitions and media.

• Monica Galetti, MasterChef: The Professionals judge and restaurateur, continues to influence new generations of chefs through one of the UK’s most respected culinary platforms.
• Andi Oliver, host of Great British Menu, has become one of the most recognisable figures in British food television, bringing authority, warmth and cultural depth to the programme.
• Amber Francis, Great British Menu champion of champions 2025, represents a new era of competitive excellence and visibility for women in professional kitchens.
• Sally Abé, formerly head chef at The Pem, enters a major new chapter in 2026 with the launch of her first solo restaurant, Teal. In 2025 she also cooked at the Great British Menu banquet, further cementing her reputation as one of the UK’s most exciting modern British chefs.

These figures highlight how influence in hospitality now extends across kitchens, media and entrepreneurship.

A New Generation in the Kitchen

The future of hospitality leadership is already emerging.

One example is Keren Pinko, pastry sous chef at Claro in St James’s.

Claro, founded by chef patron Ran Shmueli and led in London by head chef Shadi Issawy, bridges Eastern Mediterranean heritage with London seasonality. Within this kitchen, Keren’s pastry work balances technical precision with personal storytelling - from dark chocolate mousse layered with tahini crumble and sesame tuile to a refined mille-feuille with vanilla cream and toffee sauce.

Still early in her career, she represents a generation of chefs who have grown up believing they belong in professional kitchens.

Keren often cites Julia Child as an inspiration - a woman who brought personality and authority into a culinary world where female leadership was once rare.

International Women’s Day in Action

Across the UK, operators are marking International Women’s Day with events that celebrate female talent while supporting community initiatives.

Cavita Collaborative Lunch – Marylebone

On Sunday, March 8, Cavita in Marylebone will host a one-off collaborative lunch bringing together five leading female chefs whose heritage spans Mexico, the Middle East, Africa, the Caribbean and South Asia.

Adriana Cavita, Maria Bradford, Ayesha Kalaji, Keshia Sakarah and Sabrina Gidda will create a five-course menu inspired by migration, memory and cultural identity.

Highlights include snapper ceviche with culantro and sour orange by Keshia, spiced chickpea and potato chaat by Sabrina, Sierra Leonean-inspired fish pepe soup from Maria, venison albóndigas from Adriana and a labneh mousse dessert by Ayesha.

Alongside the meal, guests will take part in a live Q&A hosted by entrepreneur and author Justine Murphy discussing representation and careers in hospitality.

Tickets are £120 per person, with profits donated to women and children’s charity Refuge.