Features / drinks
The women calling the shots in Bristol’s drinks industries
As far as we’ve come in terms of gender stereotypes in the workplace, assumptions linger that whisky, along with cigar smoke and musty leather armchairs, belongs in a man’s world. But change is afoot.
Echoing a growing movement of female distillers calling the shots, Katy Kennedy, the owner of Spirited in Bedminster, is working to shift the landscape of whisky away from its stuffy, old-school past towards one where everyone, including women, feels welcome to enjoy its woody flavours.
The whisky industry has its fair share of problems, from gender biases and stereotypes to systemic sexual harassment.
is needed now More than ever
A recent survey conducted by OurWhiskey Foundation found that seven out of ten women working in whisky said they have experienced inappropriate or sexual comments while at work.
Katy Kennedy is on a mission to get more women into whisky – photo: James Bunting
Speaking about her experience, Katy said: “There’s definitely still sexism in the spirits industry, especially in the world of whisky as it’s still very male-dominated. Working at whisky shows, you often get low-level sexist comments like: ‘Oh, but you’re a woman. Do you really drink whisky?’, ‘Do you actually like whisky?’.
“I’ve had to fight a bit more for credibility and prove myself more as a woman working in whisky.”
The first whisky event for women was a roaring success, said Katy Kennedy – photo: Spirited
Inspired by similar events in London, Katy recently held her first ‘Women’s Whisky Night’ tasting event at her bottle shop and bar on North Street, aiming to celebrate the stories of women in whisky and dismantle the perception that the spirit is only for men.
“I realised I only had two women on our calendar coming to tasting events. It made me realise I wasn’t actually actively trying to include women to come along. I decided it would be really great to do a tasting celebrating women with a woman leading the tasting.”
As well as raising money for women’s charity One25, she hopes the monthly events led by female distillers and brand ambassadors will shine a light on the achievements of women in whisky, revitalise the appeal of the drink and ultimately help women gain a foothold in the industry.
From pickers and producers to baristas, women contribute to every stage of the coffee supply chain. But higher up in the speciality coffee industry, it becomes rarer to see us in the top jobs.
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Coffee roasting, which has undergone a recent renaissance in Bristol with roasteries small and large across our city, is also largely dominated by men. But bucking the trend, Fency Feng, who came to Bristol from China in 2011, is head roaster at Full Court Press’ roastery in Lawrence Hill.
Speaking about her journey into the industry, Fency said: “In China, it is very competitive and you are encouraged to work hard to get into good universities and get a ‘proper’ job. When I came to Bristol, I realised life could be very different and I could enjoy my life.”
Is the coffee roasting industry male-dominated? “Definitely,” said Fency, who has recently had a baby. “I didn’t realise this when I started running my own business. When I worked at Full Court Press as a part-time barista, before I got the head roaster job, the head roaster was male and all the part-timers were male too. It was really difficult to break into the roasting industry.”
Fency said she thinks men are more likely to work in roasteries as the job is more physical, scientific and mechanical. “But my colleagues are all really kind and it’s definitely getting more accessible for women. I don’t think there is much prejudice in the industry anymore.
“Everyone has been really accommodating since I became pregnant. I popped into the roastery the other day and I even got to help out with a bit of roasting with the baby on my side.”
Kelly Sigwick is the co-founder of Good Chemistry – photo: Good Chemistry
In the world of beer, women have always brewed and consumed the drink, but they’ve often been an afterthought in the alcohol landscape – if not entirely alienated by sexist marketing tropes. For years, major beer brands and craft breweries alike have targeted men as their primary demographic.
“If beer is marketed by women in bikinis, then, as a woman, you’re going to think: ‘That doesn’t really appeal to me, and I don’t really like what they’re doing. So I’m not gonna drink that. From a business perspective, why on earth would you exclude half the population in your marketing in the way that you’re trying to sell your product?”
These are the words of Kelly Sidgwick, co-founder of Good Chemistry, who is part of the craft beer revolution that has brought a wave of entrepreneurs – and with them, a new approach.
Kelly, along with her partner Bob Cary, founded the St Philip’s-based brewery in 2015 and has brewed 120 beers since its beginning, creating a successful and innovative business with a focus on inclusivity while encouraging women into the industry.
“Historically, the first brewers were women,” said Kelly “But the scene became dominated by men when brewing became industrialised, and women were pushed out. There are ramifications in what pubs have become like: male-dominated and unwelcoming to women.
“I see it as part of my responsibility as a woman brewery owner to stand up and be quite visible about that to show other women that you can do this male-dominated job.”
She Drinks Beer is described as a “regular night in the pub for women” – photo: Betty Woolerton
Kelly founded She Drinks Beer as a way to encourage and welcome women into the beer and 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.
She describes it as “a regular night at the pub for women who enjoy beer.” “Women drinking beer is for life, not just for International Women’s Day, so I wanted to do something more regular for beer-loving women. It’s very simple. It’s about disrupting the traditionally male pub space.”
The monthly evenings, held alternatively at the King’s Head on Victoria Street and the Good Measure on Chandos Road in Redland, showcase breweries that are owned or run by women, have women brewers or have a high proportion of women within their workforce.
“Women won’t think the brewing industry is an option for them if they can’t see other women working there,” said Kelly. “We are trying to crack that barrier.”
This is a longer version of the article that originally appeared in EatDrink24/7, which is now free to pick up from across the city
Bristol24/7’s food & drink guide is filled with recommendations from hospitality professionals in Bristol – image: Bristol24/7/ Chris Grayson
Main photo: Full Court Press
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