Today is International Women’s Collaboration Brew Day and Sheffield bars and brewhouses are celebrating gender minorities in the brewing industry.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of Sheffield Beer Week, founded by Hop Hideout’s, Jules Gray, a key advocate for women in micro-brewing.
Speaking to Exposed Mag, Jules Gray said: “Sheffield Beer Week has always supported women in beer. There are inspirational women here in Sheffield working in all parts of the industry.”
To celebrate IWCBD Sheffield brewhouses have held events such as the South Yorks Beer Girls social on Tuesday.
Sophie Deacy, 35, Turning Point Brew Company, Knaresborough said: “When I first started drinking beer 15 years ago there were no women, I used to get refused pints, that’s why getting young women involved in the industry is really important.”
Yesterday Lucienne Hallam, Brand Manager of Heist Brew Company , Neepsend, organised a social brewing day for women involved and wanting to know more regarding micro-brewing.
Lucienne said: “It can be very difficult to be a woman in such a male-dominated place. Getting women together at events like this and having these conversations creates a supportive environment.”
The day consisted of networking, free beer-tasting and a live insight into the mashing process of brewing.
Mashing is an early step in the brewing process and involves the mixing of milled grain with water, breaking down starch in the grain into sugars for fermentation.
Lilly Walshaw, 19, Front of House Supervisor for Head of Steam in Sheffield said: “It’s nice to see women are becoming more prevalent in the industry and getting the behind-the-scenes today.”
The craft beer industry remains overwhelmingly male across the globe and brewing events across Sheffield surrounding International Women’s Day have been vital in reducing the gender imbalance.
Lucienne said: “Sheffield has got fantastic strong female voices and some of the most prominent figures in the beer industry here are women, although this isn’t the case in some places the balance in Sheffield is starting to tip.”
For the final events of Sheffield Beer Week visit the website and follow the Instagram @sheffbeerweek