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At Mission Kitchen, in the Food Exchange at New Covent Garden Market, there is an ever-growing group of multi-talented and hugely inspiring women who are redefining what it means to run a food business in London.
For International Women’s Day, they have teamed up with Yelp to spotlight incredible women-led food brands, helping them reach hundreds of new customers and generating over £12,000 in sales!
We’re handing the mic to some of these fantastic women from the Mission Kitchen community – celebrating their stories, their food, and the unstoppable energy they bring to London’s food scene.
From almond butter that gives the other nuts a run for their money, to brownies you’d fight your nan for, the Mission Kitchen International Women’s Day Hamper pictured above is packed with goodies made by women changing the game.
But who are these culinary queens? What fuels their creativity? And how does IWD really make them feel? Let’s find out.
Celebrating International Women’s Day at Mission Kitchen
Alyssa Dominique — DEEP Almond Butter
I wanted an artisanal almond butter made with quality ingredients with moreish, bold flavour that would inspire endless recipe inspiration for curious food-lovers like me. So I created just that: almond butter with a sophisticated, deep-roasted flavour, ready to be enjoyed at the liveliest of dinner tables in sweet and savoury dishes – and everything in between.
Our flagship product: Smooth DEEP Almond Butter. It's a luscious blend of luxurious Marcona almonds, known for their plump and buttery richness, along with Ferragnes almonds for their subtle sweetness.
The great facilities that allow me to bring my dream to life.
I'm on a mission to make DEEP an IYKYK cult-classic by getting our products into the hands of people who genuinely know and care about food quality, ingredients, flavour and provenance. For me, it's not about being available everywhere. It's about continuing to create delicious, truly artisanal almond butter products, demonstrating social impact and environmental accountability.
For me it's as much about celebrating inspiring women as it is about doing my best to inspire and celebrate other women myself - especially Black women who are underrepresented in premium and luxury spaces.
Meet Andrea Kazan — Good Mess
I was looking for the product myself! After getting seriously ill with an autoimmune disease, I had to start reading the ingredient labels of grocery store items to have a healthier diet and the more I did that, the more I realised how hard it was to find simple, wholesome baked goods, which I was desperately craving. But my mum, who is a fantastic baker, got to work. She spent a year experimenting with her original recipes and recreated them using only the healthiest ingredients. I was still too busy (read lazy) to bake from scratch, and this is how the idea for Good Mess came about. Delicious and healthy home baked goods, none of the mess.
Our brownie mix - it's grain free, refined sugar free, vegan optional and without anything artificial. I love to add in some chocolate chips for extra gooeyness!
Starting a food business is hard, especially when you don't have prior experience in the industry! Having a community of people who are all going through the same journey is amazing.
We just launched in Whole Foods!!
A great way to shine a spotlight on some amazing women creating incredible things but I hope we get to a point where we don't need IWD anymore - women should be celebrated every day.
Meet Imogen Royall — Northern Pasta Co.
To showcase the amazing potential of British grains and create something truly delicious! For us food is all at joy and we wanted to bring that to pasta! A lot of the pasta on the shelves is bland and stodgy, so we set out to reimagine it!
Our Radiatori pasta! Its unique shape is perfect for hugging your sauce, making every mouthful pure joy!
We’ve connected with some incredible brands and foodie heroes. Being surrounded by this passionate bunch is truly inspirational.
More pasta! We’re growing and can’t wait to get our pasta into even more stores, homes and bowls across the country. Watch this space!
It is always a moment of reflection. I feel honoured to be part of a community of brilliant women shaping the food industry and beyond. It also reminds me of the opportunity we have to push for more inclusivity, recognition, and opportunities for future generations.
Meet Giuliana Pimenta — Giuliana Pimenta
Giuliana Pimenta began as a dream my husband and I shared to build something meaningful together. We both come from families with a deep appreciation for fine food—both savoury and sweet—and some of our happiest memories are tied to meals shared with loved ones. Combining our love for food with our desire to create something of our own felt like the perfect path. We started this journey when we were just 18, fresh out of high school, driven by passion and a big dream.
Our Honey Cake Bites! A combination of honey, cinnamon, warming spices, and muscovado sugar baked into a soft, fluffy cake. Each bite is filled with rich salted caramel and coated in a thin layer of chocolate. This treat is a true Brazilian classic and has quickly become one of our bestsellers here in the UK. It’s the perfect indulgence to pair with your favourite cup of tea or coffee, making it a little moment of bliss.
Mission Kitchen has been such a supportive and inspiring community for us. It’s incredible to be surrounded by other passionate food entrepreneurs who are all working hard to bring their visions to life. The collaborative vibe here is unmatched, and it’s been a fantastic space for us to grow and innovate as we give our first steps here in London. Being a member here made our journey way easier, we received valuable help here that we wouldn't have access otherwise. Plus, it’s great being part of something that feels so dynamic and full of energy, there's always something great happening around here!
The next chapter is all about London! We’re thrilled to bring our chocolates to this vibrant and diverse city, introducing our brand to a whole new audience. Our focus is on expanding our retail presence by making our products available in specialty food shops and delis across the UK. We’re also dreaming of opening a physical space here in London—a place where we can fully showcase the sensory experience behind our chocolates and create a welcoming spot for chocolate lovers to indulge. At the same time, we’re dedicated to growing our online presence, both on social media and through our e-commerce platform, so more people can discover and enjoy our creations from anywhere in the UK. Exciting times ahead!
International Women’s Day is a moment of pride and reflection for me. My husband and I both come from families with strong, inspiring women who served as incredible role models and played a pivotal role in helping us build our business. IWD is a powerful reminder of the strength, resilience, and determination of women everywhere. As a female entrepreneur, I feel deeply grateful for the opportunities I’ve had and driven to support and uplift other women in business.
Who else is in the hamper?
Alongside those brilliant businesses, our hamper is bursting with even more goodies from incredible women in our community:
🐟 Sea Sisters – Oak smoked rainbow trout: Did you know they are the first manufacturers of canned fish in England since the 1940s?
🍰 Komodo Bakery – Vegan chocolate granola: Plant-based granola inspired by bold flavours from around the world like Early Grey and Yuzu.
🥒 Sexy Pickles – Spiced pickled grapes / pickled pineapple: A grandmother’s pickling recipe passed over to the UK from Canada.
🥨 Frankie’s Brownies – Sea salt pretzel brownie: From an Etsy listing to producing 35,000 desserts for Honest Burgers, these brownies are worth fighting over.
🍪 Apple’s Bakery – Teddy Bear Cookie Kit: A micro-bakery with the cutest desserts.
🥮 Too Much Sugar – Black Bean Dukkah: Mouth-watering, Asian-inspired patisserie, pastries, condiments and snacks.
🍝 Northern Pasta Co – Spelt Radiatore: Small-batch, handcrafted pasta with proper Northern soul.
🍫 It’s Bliss – Salty nutty dark choc bar: No intro needed! Ethically sourced chocolate bars the way it should be.
Interested in hampers for your team or community?
Our seasonal Hampers are packed with some incredible flavours from independent brands. If you want to support small food businesses across the UK and introduce new flavours to your team or community get in touch.
If you’re interested, email: hello@missionkitchen.org
