Celebrating Five Years of Be Inclusive Hospitality

On Monday, 2nd June, we celebrated five years of Be Inclusive Hospitality. Members of our community joined us for an inspiring evening as we raised a glass to celebrate how far we’ve come.

A Look Back at Our Impact

Since our launch, we have proudly achieved the following:

1. Published five ground-breaking reports
2. Supported over 500 community members through career development, skills training, and recognition
3. Delivered EDI workshops to nearly 2,000 hospitality leaders
4. Formed ongoing partnerships with industry leaders, including OpenTable, Uber Eats, Caterer.com, and Bibendum
5. Hosted 38 events across the UK, from awards ceremonies and conferences to community gatherings and networking events

A Conversation with Trailblazing Women in Hospitality

To mark the occasion, our Founder and CEO, Lorraine Copes, hosted a powerful panel discussion with three inspirational women who have been part of our community from the beginning:

• Maria Bradford, Author and Founder of Shwen Shwen
• Nokx Majozi, Head Pie Maker at Rosewood London
• Joké Bakare, Founder and Executive Chef at Chishuru

Heritage, Food, and the Future

The conversation delved into their unique journeys into hospitality, the influence of culture and heritage on their work, and their reflections on what’s currently missing from the UK hospitality scene. Though all three have built remarkable careers, their paths have been distinctly different.

Nokx spent over 20 years in French and Italian kitchens before joining Rosewood London. Maria was an accountant before switching careers after completing a culinary course. She is now an author, chef and founder. Joké also originally followed a different path. She entered hospitality most recently after winning a residency in Brixton in 2020. Today, she runs Chishuru, a Michelin-starred restaurant in central London.

The Power of Food Education

A key theme was the importance of food education, especially around African cuisines. African food being often misunderstood and undervalued compared to others. Nokx is from South Africa. Joké and Maria are from Nigeria and Sierra Leone. All three agreed that African food needs better representation and understanding in the UK.

Joké stressed the importance of learning from the source. She encouraged the next generation of chefs to seek food education from the source, beyond online misinformation.

Championing Underrepresented Voices

The panellists highlighted a lack of representation in the publishing industry and the urgent need to support diverse voices. Maria’s book, Sweet Salone and a book by Ozoz Sokah Kitchen Butterfly, were cited as examples of contributions from African authors.

Career Milestones and Reflections

Maria shared news of her upcoming restaurant, Shwen Shwen, opening in Sevenoaks. Nokx reflected on judging MasterChef South Africa – a proud milestone for her and her family.

To close the Be Inclusive Hospitality 5th Anniversary event, each panellist summed up hospitality in a few words: “Rollercoaster,” “stressful,” and “the opportunity to delight a guest every single day”.

The evening wrapped up with audience questions and networking.

Our drinks sponsors were thoughtfully chosen to align with the evening’s theme of inspiring women. We were proud to serve Amandla, a South African wine, as our main sponsor, along with Veuve Clicquot champagne for the celebratory toast.

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