Rachel Auty, founder and director of Women on Tap CIC, chats with Yohanna Best about the need for diversity in the beer industry and what she and other beer loving women are doing to change things.

RA: Women On Tap (WOT) is a social enterprise on a mission to diversify the beer industry by tackling sexism, harassment and discrimination and by celebrating women in beer. Founded in 2017 we have now delivered six annual festivals and a range of projects designed to ignite often difficult conversations and to highlight ongoing issues and steer positive change.

It’s very much a side hustle for me, as I work full time as Head of Marketing at Brew York for my day job. I am hugely passionate about the beer industry and I want to disrupt the harmful deep-rooted beer industry norms to make beer better for everyone. It’s what needs to happen to build resilience and futureproof the industry for future generations.

YB: What inspired you to start WOT?

RA: Honestly, back in 2017 all I wanted to do was find more women like me - women who love beer but often feel there aren’t many others like them. It turns out, there are!

I started to talk to others about doing a mini-festival to highlight women brewers. What happened next was amazing to see. People jumped up to support the mission; the first, second, fourth, fifth and then SIXTH festival happened, and a whole load of collaborations and funding partnerships shaped something much bigger than I’d ever originally intended. 

Now Women On Tap CIC is an incorporated Community Interest Company with a vision that ‘all women thrive in all beer spaces’. We still have lots of work to do.

YB: Would you say the homebrewing community has the same issues as the beer industry in general? 

RA: There’s no reason to think it wouldn’t. For a very long time men have ‘owned’ beer and it’s excluded most other people. You do generally find women in beer groups and communities but often they are partners of the male members, and they are almost always the exception rather than the norm. I would absolutely love to see more women homebrewing - including myself!

YB: How can we help more women feel comfortable (and thrive!) in the homebrewing community?

RA: There are a few really simple things. Representation - when posting about meetings and events, be mindful of who is in the photos, and make sure you say that everyone is welcome to join you. It’s OK to say things like ‘we particularly encourage those who are currently under-represented in the beer industry to come along - we’d love to meet you’.

Having a Code of Conduct shows you’re serious about welcoming people to meetings, discussions and communities too. It demonstrates a commitment to keeping everyone safe, and to having zero tolerance of harmful language and behaviour.

In addition to this, it’s worth remembering that a lot of women out there know a heck of a lot about beer and brewing. Just be mindful of asking and listening when women speak about beer and their own experiences. Inviting women to lead a session, give a talk or even just get more involved in organising events within the homebrewing community and local groups really can inspire a shift in thinking and positive change.

YB: And in the beer industry?

The main thing here is to call out negative language and behaviour when you hear or see it. That could be directly to a friend or family member, or it might be by alerting bar or event staff. We can all do our bit to say NO to the things that harm each other and the wider industry. 

YB: Tell us about your campaigns.

RA: In May 2022 we delivered WOTFEST SIX - a programme of 26 events at 11 venues showcasing 40 women. We had 11 sponsors, we funded 6 creative commissions, hosted 9 tap takeovers and published 9 interviews with women in beer. It was a blast! 

We are shaping up plans at the moment for another WOTFEST, which we hope to be able to announce in March. We’ve relied on sponsorship every year so far, which has mostly come from the beer industry in the past. However, financial pressures are very real right now, and so we are still working out exactly what we can do vs what we would like to do. But I’m hoping we can get some projects up and running this year that will have a life beyond the usual festival in May.

I’ve also been invited to speak at the WOW Festival London in March about my work championing women in the beer industry. WOW Festival is the world’s biggest festival celebrating women, girls and non-binary people.   

I’ll be speaking as part of the WOW Bites series - short talks and soapbox moments designed to inspire and introduce new ideas. I’m very excited!

YB: Who in the industry is leading the way in terms of equality?

There are so many brilliant women and active allies out there. A number of women’s beer groups exist across the UK - Crafty Beer Girls, Ladies That Beer, Glasladies Beer Society, Brum Beer Babs, and Beers Without Beards to name a few. 

Amélie Tassin runs Beers Without Beards, and also set up the Women In Beer Festival in Edinburgh. She has done so much incredible work. Jules Gray owns Hop Hideout in Sheffield and set up Sheffield Beer Week and Indie Beer Feast. Jules has been a beacon of hope for women in beer for many years. And Journalist Emmie Harrison-West is also working hard to get some important issues around things like sexism in beer into the mainstream media. She’s making waves that will inevitably lead to positive change. One to watch! 

YB: How can we support WOT?

RA: We are incredibly grateful to all the companies and individuals who have supported us over the years. We’ve already confirmed 2023 partnerships with Thornbridge, Brew York, Simpsons Malt, and Harrogate Brewing Co, and we have some amazingly generous supporters via our Patreon who have supported us for some years. There are also a handful of individuals who make one-off and ongoing donations. We don’t need loads of income to have an impact and literally every little helps! 

We have full details on all the ways people can support us on our website at www.womenontap.co.uk 

YB: What’s your favourite brew at the moment?

RA: I am a BIG fan of cask beer. I just love it. I’m in my element when I find a hazy, hoppy number on the bar, freshly brewed and kept and served to perfection. With all that in mind, it’s hard to beat Baby Faced Assassin by Roosters for me. It’s a 100% Citra hop IPA and with the main Roosters taproom less than two miles from my house I can get the very best version of it whenever I’m in the mood. How lucky am I?!