Summer Hop is a new one-day event by the Women On Tap community interest company and it’s coming to Harrogate on 4th July.
Photograph: Ryan Walsh
It embodies the spirit of WOTFEST over the past seven years, packed into a few hours of insights, inspiration, and connection.
The day is split into three distinct parts — Talks, Tasting, and Social — with each segment ticketed separately.
All three parts of the event will take place in the private upstairs event space at Rooster’s taproom, at Hornbeam Park in Harrogate. The event is sponsored by BarthHaas X.
The day will commence with an industry-focused segment (10am-3pm) featuring prominent speakers who are activists, leaders, researchers, and experts in the beer industry. They will share new data and insights, and hear from frontline researchers and industry trailblazers, and leadership experts and activists.
Summer Hop is not women only, the organisers point out. Anyone with an interest in the UK beer industry is welcome, particularly within a gender equality context. Men in senior roles with influence in the brewery or pub trade or wider hospitality sector are particularly encouraged to attend.
The morning will set the scene with an introduction titled ‘What the hell is going on with women and beer in the UK?’, with Annabel Smith highlighting some of the headlines from the recent Gender Pint Gap: Revisited report.
PhD candidate Inka Kosonen will be sharing highlights of her research as she prepares to submit her final doctoral thesis titled ‘Making the British craft beer industry more inclusive: A pragmatist inquiry into gender inequalities’.
A round-table discussion titled ‘The UK beer industry is failing women. How can we drive real change?’ will bring together women from across the UK beer industry to discuss the research and explore solutions. Taking part will be:
- Rachel Auty, founder of Women On Tap CIC and marketing consultant;
- Isobel Cameron, digital marketing coordinator for Rooster’s Brewing Co;
- Lauren Gilbert, deputy general manager at The Head of Steam, Leeds Park Row;
- Heather Griffin, general manager at Northern Monk Refectory LDS;
- Jessica Mason, beer and features editor at The Drinks Business;
- Bex Painter, creative lead at Thornbridge Brewery;
- Catherine Webber, business development manager at Attic Brew Co; and
- Katie Wynne, events and marketing coordinator at Thornbridge Brewery.
A ‘WOT Topics’ hour will then bring a range of mini-talks on activism projects and practical guidance, and Annabel Smith and Rachel Auty will close the talks with a look at the Dea Latis 10-point manifesto, which offers practical take-aways to drive positive change.
Guided beer tasting
Once the main talks are concluded, a guided tasting (3.15pm-4.30pm) will be hosted by beer sommelier Annabel Smith. She has worked in the beer industry for almost 30 years as a licensee, educator, beer inspector, public speaker, and author, and she’s a leading expert on cask beer.
She will showcase four Rooster’s beers and talk about flavour profiles, beer styles, and brewing techniques. Tickets are £12, which includes all beers and some paired snacks.
Beer social
The final part of the day (from 5pm) is a Beer Social, hosted by Women On Tap CIC. This relaxed event is open to anyone who loves beer.
Entertainment has been organised in the shape of thought-provoking spoken word from the legendary local poet Jem Henderson, and a spot of live music. Waihuka Matekuare (Wai) is a singer songwriter from New Zealand, living in Knaresborough, and Amber Ra is a singer songwriter exploring soul, spiritual, jazz, and pop music.
Doors will open at 5pm. Entertainment will run from 5.30pm-7.30pm and the social will continue afterwards downstairs, in a reserved area of the main taproom space. Tickets are £5 and include your first drink and a WOT pin badge.
Exhibition
In addition to the programme of talks and entertainment, a photography exhibition will be on display all day in the main event room. Following a run at stage@leeds back in March, Raging! will be exhibited for one day only.
Raging! is a photography project that sticks two fingers up to women+ being seen and not heard. This vibrant, punchy and ironic commentary on societal expectation establishes a space where women+ can be loud, outrageous, and angry about the things that affect them on a daily basis.
Artists Grace Wilkinson and Sarah Oglesby will also be delivering a short talk about the project and their work as part of the WOT Topics section of the day. There will be a participative element in the shape of a Board of Rage, where all will get the chance to share their own frustrations.
Tickets
Tickets to the main event are £15, including access to all talks and networking opportunities, a light lunch, and a beer. There is limited availability. £10 BarthHass-subsidised tickets are available.
There are separate tickets available for the tasting with Annabel and the social.
