The Women of Vocation

The 8th of March is International Women's Day. A day for recognition, celebration, and change. 

I have been working in the beer/brewing industry for around 7 years now, in that time I have worked in bars and restaurants before arriving here at Vocation, where I've been for almost 4 years now. In that time the world has changed drastically in that time, from attitudes to mindsets, the world around us is constantly diversifying.

The craft beer industry has seen the same change and although it is still very much a male dominated industry this is now becoming much more balanced. There are so many inspirational women within our industry ranging from brewers, beer writers, designers, engineers, accountants, logistical planners, packaging managers, e-commerce controllers, marketers, event managers, HR, to warehouse managers. These women do what they love, to create a product that they love and are vital voices driving change in the beer industry. 

The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is #BreakTheBias focusing on gender stereotypes and discrimination. The culture of beer is still very male oriented, but change is afoot - so this International Women's Day is about stepping up and calling out gender bias, discrimination and stereotyping each time you see it.

I'm proud to work alongside strong-minded, driven, intelligent women at Vocation. Over the past year our team has grown significantly, in fact it’s almost doubled. 33% of the team at Vocation are women. We work across all areas of the brewery, breaking through barriers and standing at the forefront of innovation in the craft beer industry. We encourage people in all walks of life to do the same. This isn't just about equality, but about respect and breaking the bias for all women. 

In celebration of International Women's Day our team got together on 18th February to brew a style of beer that we all love, a West Coast IPA. We will be releasing this beer in the coming days but wanted today to champion the women who make up Vocation - not focus on selling you a product.  

So, raise a glass and cheers to Jaclyn, Gail, Sally, Janet, Diane, Rachel, Jasmine, Rachael, Sally, Leanne, Teegan, Nicky, Jenny, Edina, Hannah, Katie, Linda, Kasia and Katie.

Cheers to them, the brilliant women I work with and all brilliant women around the world.

- Katie.