On March 8, 2025, the world comes together to celebrate International Women’s Day. This year’s theme, Accelerate Action, highlights the urgency of advancing gender equality. At hampers.com, we believe change simply cannot wait - it must happen now.
That’s why we are committed to supporting women in business by actively partnering with women-owned makers, producers, and agencies, wherever possible. Empowering female-led businesses helps to dismantle systemic barriers in industries where women have historically been underrepresented.
In this blog, hampers.com interviews Dominique Woolf, Founder of The Woolf's Kitchen. Keep reading to get inspired by Dominique's story and learn all about her wonderful women-owned business.
introducing Dominique Woolf...
As part of hampers.com’s International Women’s Day celebrations, we spoke with Dominique, the inspiring founder of The Woolf’s Kitchen. Her journey into food began with a deep love for her Auntie Dang’s incredible Thai sauces. While searching for a career she loved, Dominique realised her passion lay in these flavours. From these beginnings, The Woolf’s Kitchen was born.
Dominique explained that "Woolf’s Kitchen is a brand of chilli oils, hot sauces and cooking pastes inspired by my Thai roots. I’m passionate about sharing my love of Asian flavours and not only do this through my products but through my recipes. I’m also a bestselling cookbook author and won the Channel 4 cooking show, The Great Cookbook Challenge with Jamie Oliver.".
hampers.com interviews Dominique Woolf
As part of hampers.com's International Women's Day celebrations, we were lucky enough to interview Dominique about her business journey and ask what advice she would give to other women in business:
hampers.com: What inspired you to start, own or lead your own business?
My Thai Auntie Dang used to make these incredible sauces - when I tried her tamarind sauce for the first time I was completely blown away. A few years later, when I was soul searching what I wanted to do with my life career-wise, I remembered her sauce and knew this was something I could be passionate about - and so Woolf’s Kitchen was born.
hampers.com: What challenges did you overcome during this process, specifically as a woman entrepreneur?
I started the business during the first lockdown and my three children were then aged 3, 4 and 5. It was tough as schools and nurseries were closed and grandparents weren’t allowed to come over, so I had no childcare. They would come with me to meetings and on deliveries, and then I would work late into the evening after they went to bed.
Now they’re all at school which makes a huge difference, but I still struggle with lack of time. I have a short working day because of when they get home - there just aren't enough hours in the day to do everything!
Dominique shares advice for women in business...
hampers.com: What advice would you give to other women looking to break into your industry or start their own businesses?
The first thing I would do is start researching - learn as much as you can about the area you want to get into and become an expert. Learn about your product, your competition, your category and your customers. Immerse yourself in it if you can. There are so many online resources as well as in-person events.
Networking is key - both in person and as well as on LinkedIn. Test the market at your local farmer's market if you can - you don’t need fancy branding to start. I did a couple of dates at my local farmer’s market with DIY labelling from Canva. Once you know people like your product (and are willing to pay for it!) you can find a small manufacturer, and go from there.
Know your ‘why’ and make sure it’s something you can be passionate about. Running a business is tough and you need something that will get you out of bed on the bad days. The reality is that a food business can take years to be in profit and you need to weigh this up.
And finally, just start - you don’t have to give up the day job at first. You can do it on the side and see whether you actually want to do it in practice. Start small and iterate as you go.
hampers.com: What does this year’s International Women’s Day theme mean to you, and how do reflect on its significance in your business?
To me, it means moving beyond conversation and into action, ensuring that women-led businesses are not just visible but thriving. As a female founder, I know the challenges of building a brand in a competitive space, which is why I’m passionate about supporting other women in food, whether through collaboration, mentorship, or sharing stories. I’m proud to be part of initiatives like Buy Women Built, which shine a light on female-led businesses and encourage consumers to back women-owned brands.
For me, ‘Accelerate Action’ is a reminder that real progress happens when we lift each other up, create opportunities, and keep pushing forward.