Crisp Malt has welcomed a group from Women in Beer UK to its historic Great Ryburgh, Norfolk, maltings for a day of education in barley, malt, and malting.
The visit was part of the company’s commitment to supporting and celebrating women in the brewing industry.
Crisp Malt is one of seven current sponsors of the Women in Beer Mentorship Programme, which aims to give women starting their careers the chance to pair with more experienced women working in the industry in order to help expand their career opportunities.
Women are under-represented in managerial and brewing roles, with fewer than 25% of brewery
management positions held by women, according to campaigning organisation Dea Latis.
A recent report by The Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA) reported that 30% of brewery employees are women, with only 3% in brewing roles.
Rebecca Gee, grain procurement manager at Crisp Malt, said: “Welcoming Women in Beer UK to Great Ryburgh for a day of in-depth tours with our passionate team was a fantastic opportunity to hear from aspiring women in the industry and pass on our knowledge and expertise, which is essential, not only to showcase the brewing industry as a viable option for women, but to give them the opportunity to build connections and find support in a sector that is typically male dominated.
“It’s important to promote women’s interests in brewing and help other women get into the industry, and the recent findings by Dea Latis emphasises this.
“The beer industry continues to evolve beyond malting and fermentation, homing in on areas that are key to successful brewing and brewhouse operations. For instance, innovations in malting technology and advanced brewing techniques are getting more attention — areas perfect for engineers and scientists.
“We have a number of skilled women from various backgrounds working at Crisp Malt, and women without STEM backgrounds are also finding ways into the industry. Regardless of whether they come from a science background, women can find support and programmes to get into the industry, and initiatives like Women in Beer UK gives them the chance to be paired with an experienced mentor who can give advice and access to a wider network.”
Colin Johnston, sales and marketing director at Crisp Malt, said: “We supply a fantastic sector, but it is still a very male-dominated place. As an industry, we’ve come a long way in showing that there should be no barriers to those who consume beer and access beer-related spaces, so the same should be true for the people who make it.
“I’ve personally seen the power of mentorship in my career, as a place to learn and grow. Since joining the Women in Beer mentorship programme as sponsors in September 2023, we have employed a number of incredible, skilled and talented women and have supported PhD research surrounding speciality malts in distilling.
“We are massively proud to be supporting this mentorship programme and will continue to pass on our knowledge and expertise to women in or entering the brewing industry.”
