Meet the women championing inclusivity in the brewing industry

The Good Chemistry brewery was adorned with fairy lights and overflowing baskets of croissants on Tuesday morning as Chaka Khan and Girls Aloud played on the loudspeaker.

This was the soundtrack and setting for a celebration of the second anniversary of the She Drinks Beer campaign.

The day was also used to promote and celebrate the launch of Good Chemistry’s new beer, a 4.4 per cent pale ale called All Welcome that will be coming to Redland pub The Good Measure on November 7.

Kelly Sidgwick and Bob Cary co-founded Good Chemistry Brewing in 2015 and have brewed 120 beers since their beginning, creating a successful, innovative business with a focus on inclusivity and encouraging women into the industry.

Kelly founded the She Drinks Beer campaign as a way to encourage and welcome women into the beer and brewing industry.

“I wasn’t a beer drinker or brewer, it was a steep learning curve but I believe it is my responsibility as a lady brewer to support and champion any woman that works in the industry or any woman that simply enjoys beer,” Kelly explained.

The brewer described the campaign as a way for women to feel comfortable and at home, saying: “It’s a regular night at the pub for women who enjoy beer.”

An eclectic group attended the brew day, including female brewers, hospitality workers and campaign followers.

Good Chemistry Brewing hosted an open brew day to involve women into the brewing industry

With inclusivity at the heart of the campaign, Kelly stressed that anyone is welcome to get involved in the campaign, including non-binary, transgender and non-conforming identities.

“We want to disrupt the idea of the pub as a traditionally male space,” she told Bristol24/7.

“We want to shift the dynamic and get more women into the pub – you don’t have to drink or like beer!”

She Drinks Beer holds regular, monthly events that alternate between The Good Measure and The King’s Head on Victoria Street.

Kelly added: “It’s not an organisation and its not political. It’s just about getting together with friends in the pub.”

Good Chemistry Brewing started out as a team of two, which has now grown to a predominantly female team of eight. The team hosted an interactive open brew day for Bristol women involved in the brewing industry.

Speaking about getting into the industry, Kelly said: “You can come from anywhere and work in brewing. We’re always open to talking to anyone”.

Many activities were organised throughout the day, including the brewing of the new All Welcome pale ale, where attendees were invited to learn about the malt, how it’s made and encouraged to get involved in the brewing of it. Hops were weighed, barleys were tasted, and the malt mix was stirred after an informative pop quiz on British brewery culture.

Speaking to Bristol24/7 about the business’ brand values, Kelly said: “It’s about creating good chemistry in the broadest sense. Thoughtfulness and quality are at the core of what we do.

“We want to build community and bring people together and we do this through openness and inclusivity. All our beers are vegan and we want to empower our customers to find out what they like.”

Women were invited to take part in the brewing of new beer All Welcome

Kelly named another core brand value as “Bristolcentricity”, achieved through local outreach, building personal relationships and maintaining a strong connection to the city and the people within it.

The event finished with everyone receiving a freebie of their favourite Good Chemistry beer as women from all over the city were invited to stay and sip; creating the friendly, social and comfortable environment that Kelly had originally hoped for when starting the campaign two years ago.

She added: “It’s so lovely to see so many different women drinking and enjoying beer.

“If you’re new to beer, don’t like beer or you’re a long-time beer lover you’re welcome here.”

All photos: Isobel Edwards

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