“We should all be cheerleaders for each other.”

Some of the most influential and inspiring female leaders in British hospitality gathered at The Goring in Belgravia on Monday 31 March for a celebratory lunch to mark the announcement of CODE Hospitality’s Women of the Year 2025.

It was a glorious day for the occasion, with the spring sun shining and The Goring’s cosseting dining room – already one of London’s loveliest – looking more beautiful than ever. It was wonderful to see so many women in attendance, taking a few precious hours away from their businesses and workplaces, to catch up with industry peers, salute their achievements, and make new connections.

The event was an opportunity to honour all 51 of the women on this year’s Women of the Year list and, in turn, to recognise the contribution made by so many women to the UK hospitality industry today. Adam Hyman, founder of Knife & Fork Media, noted: “There are thousands, if not tens of thousands of women, who could be on the list.”

The day’s two headline winners were Dame Karen Jones, winner of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and Natalia Ribbe, winner of the Woman of the Year award, both of whom said a few words after lunch.

Asked about their experience forging successful careers as female leaders specifically in hospitality, Ribbe, the founder of women’s hospitality network LOR (Ladies of Restaurants), said: “It has been hard but I think the support of the community of people that I’ve always surrounded myself with is so important. I’ve been very lucky – and we’re so lucky in hospitality that we are a community –  and that’s made it so much easier and fun. What’s always brought me so much joy about this industry is connection and the power of connection. I really am a big believer that your net worth is your network, and I’ve had so many incredible opportunities because of the people that I’ve connected with. I think we can all work together.”

Dame Karen, an industry veteran with decades of experience as a founder, entrepreneur and non-executive director, agreed, saying: “If there’s one thing that I would wish for everybody in this room and for every woman in hospitality, or contemplating going into hospitality, it’s confidence. How you get it is a hard one to say. But I do think that in order to nurture it, you need cheerleaders and we should all be cheerleaders for each other.”

She added: “We are an extraordinarily innovative, creative and entrepreneurial industry, and even in this time we’re facing – this cliff edge of April, when we’re not at all certain what happens after this cliff edge – things will spring up. New things will spring up.”

Dame Karen also spoke to the importance of EQ – emotional quotient. “EQ is critically important. That’s at the heart of hospitality. Working out what people need. Women have that and that is our superpower. I think that is something that should give us really foundational confidence.”

There was also a well-deserved round of applause for the three women, Sally Abé, Poppy O’Toole, and Dara Klein (who unfortunately was not able to attend the lunch) who spearheaded the open letter in The Telegraph calling out sexism and inequality in the industry.

The event was a joyful celebration of all these women’s achievements and the lunch itself felt fittingly celebratory, with each course matched with wines selected by headline sponsor Bibendum’s Director of Fine Wine, Valeria Rodriguez. After English pea and goats’ curd tartlets with sparkling wine from Weyborne Estate in the South Downs, came wild sea bass ceviche, with ajo blanco and Imperial caviar, matched with Chablis Le Finage, made by winemaker Estelle Roy, IWC White Winemaker of the Year 2024, of La Chablisienne, a cooperative leading the way in Burgundy in terms of sustainability. To follow, Devon white chicken, stuffed morel, and new season Wye Valley asparagus, with Castellare di Castellina Chianti Classico, then a clotted cream and lemon curd parfait, paired with Sauternes from Château Giraud, the estate led by Sandrine Garbay, former cellar master at Château d’Yquem.

Guests departed with a goodie bag that included tins of Perello olives and Torres truffle crisps (courtesy of Brindisa, whose founder Monika Linton was one of Hospitality’s Women of the Year), bottles of Artah Sleep Tonic (a sleep-promoting botanical tincture that might have been tailor made for hospitality professionals), and a sheep plushie from The Goring. For every guest who had to dash off afterwards for an evening shift or the school-run, there were plenty more who, rumour has it, continued the celebrations over Guinness in Soho.