08 March
The inspiring wāhine of New Zealand's food and drink industry.
This International Women's Day, we wanted to hero some of the amazing wāhine doing epic things within the food and drink industry in New Zealand.
We sat down with Plabita Florence, Michal Garvey and Sophie Gilmour - three of the women recognised in Cuisine's Top 50 most influential and inspiring women in food and drink for 2024 to chat about International Women's Day, personal growth, and what advice they would give to young women wanting to enter the industry.
Plabita Florence
Owner and Head Chef - Forrest
What does it mean to be recognised as one of New Zealand's most influential women in food and drink for 2024?
It's very encouraging. I think working in a kitchen, in a small business, you can tend to feel very alone and very insular a lot of the time, so to feel like all the hard work doesn't go unnoticed, that's pretty cool. After that feeling subsides it just makes me want to just keep doing better, and keep exploring what's next.
Reflecting on your journey, what personal achievements or moments of growth are you most proud of?
Honestly, just being able to open a restaurant at all. I grew up in a family of artists so there was never much money or business knowledge around. I still have to pinch myself sometimes that I was actually able to scrape my way into opening Forest initially, and then last year managed to move the whole restaurant into a newer, larger space as well. Although it doesn't come without its debts and challenges, I get to do something I care about, in a way I agree with, every single day. Pretty stoked with that.
As the owner and head chef of Forest, what advice would you give to young women aspiring to pursue a career in the food and drink sector?
I reckon essentially you just have to ignore anything that doesn't feel right to you. Like most sectors it often feels like it's set up to benefit men first, so not buying into any of that boys club stuff is key. Don't let the lack of women in the field intimidate you. Know your worth, know your point of difference, trust it and use it. You can create your reality within the industry.
How do you think International Women's Day contributes to the empowerment of women in various industries, including food and drink?
I just think it's a good reminder to look up from what we're doing and appreciate that it's often been harder for us to get where we are than our male counterparts. It's nice to acknowledge each other, and that it's not always easy, specifically in the food industry.
Michal Garvey
Founder and Director - Foodprint
What does it mean to be recognised as one of New Zealand's most influential women in food and drink for 2024?
It's been a really special few days since finding out and if I'm honest I'm still feeling quite overwhelmed at being included on this incredible list! I had seen this initiative last year and thought it was such a wonderful way to celebrate so many wāhine across our diverse food and drink sector. Many of the people on the list in 2023 were people that I've looked up to throughout my journey with Foodprint. I didn't at all imagine that my name would be among them in 2024.
Reflecting on your journey, what personal achievements or moments of growth are you most proud of?
I've learnt so much over the last five years, about running a business, how to adapt and pivot, managing a team, learning fast from mistakes and of course about myself. It's hard to pinpoint exact moments as everything over the last five years has contributed to the journey and my growth. Recognition from groups such as Women in Food and Drink, Auckland University's 40 Under 40, or the Global Entrepreneurship Network are humbling reminders of mine and Foodprint's achievements.
As the founder and director of Foodprint, what advice would you give to young women aspiring to start their own business?
The simplest piece of advice is to get started. You'll learn loads and quickly, but you won't get there if you don't make the first step to get started. Once you've got started, you don't have to do it all alone. There are so many people making up Aotearoa's entrepreneur ecosystem who are super generous with their time, so don't be afraid to ask for help. There are many opportunities for both group and individual networking and mentoring. It's really beneficial to find a community of founders so you can support each other along the way.
What inspired you to start Foodprint?
I've always had an interest in food and especially the impacts that our food system has on the planet. Wasted food accounts for up to 10% of greenhouse gas emissions and is a solvable problem. When I was in London, I worked for a global meal kit service for two years which was my introduction to food tech. This role also brought food waste back onto my agenda when I worked on a food rescue project. After leaving London, I went on to study web development in Sweden where I was introduced to apps that provide a similar service to Foodprint. There was an "ah-ha" moment and about a month later I was on a plane home to start what would become Foodprint. For me it was important to create a platform that empowers our community to reduce food waste and the associated emissions.
How do you think International Women's Day contributes to the empowerment of women in various industries, including food and drink?
2024's International Women's Day theme speaks to inclusion. Inclusion ultimately aids in empowerment by creating a sense of belonging and community. In many ways, I find it frustrating that we are still having to have conversations about including women in 2024, but I will of course continue to have them. The promotion of female achievement through initiatives such as Women in Food and Drink is important to aid in empowering those starting their journey. I'm a big believer in "you can't be what you can't see" so highlighting achievements by women helps create space for young women to succeed. I consider myself fortunate to have worked under some incredible female leaders in my younger years who helped show me what was possible.
Sophie Gilmour
Co-owner - Fatimas and The Village
Hospitality Consultant - Delicious Business
What does it mean to be recognised as one of New Zealand's most influential women in food and drink for 2024?
It was surprising if I'm honest! I'm feeling very lucky to be recognised alongside many women that I consider much more influential and inspirational than me. That said, I really believe in representation so I'm thrilled at the idea that another woman or young girl may see the efforts that I've made to contribute back to the industry I love and community through my charitable endeavours in particular and feel moved to do something similar.
Reflecting on your journey, what personal achievements or moments of growth are you most proud of?
I'm a walking talking example of the adage that you don't learn anything in the easy times! I've certainly grown the most through the challenges that have been thrown my way - both personally and professionally. I'm proud of my ability to keep going when life has given me lemons, to take the learnings on board, to be honest about my failings as well as my successes and also to maintain what I would call my signature optimism.
As the co-owner of Fatimas and The Village, and hospitality consultant at Delicious Business, what advice would you give to young women aspiring to pursue a career in the food and drink sector?
I truly believe you can only do things that don't make your heart sing for so long (this was me with the law!) so if you love it, find your place in it. Ask yourself where you can add the most value, what the options and opportunities are and then work hard to get there. There is no substitute for hard work in the food and drink sector in my experience.
How do you think International Women's Day contributes to the empowerment of women in various industries, including food and drink
I really believe that diversity drives better outcomes, so I think shining a light on women in any industry where they're underrepresented is a fantastic thing. Ideally the flow on effect is that 'if you can see it, you can be it' and girls and women are empowered to put themselves forward into new roles & industries that they thought weren't for them or they weren't capable of.
Fatimas / The Village / Delicious Business
