I wrote this follow blog before the news was announced that The Great British Festival (GBBF) would be no more.
It has been well over a month since my experience at GBBF and with those terrible scaffolders on the same day. I wanted to recap what happened next, while also assessing what we can do moving forward to make festivals, events and venues safer and more welcoming spaces.
Before I launch into the “beer stuff” I wanted to say a massive “thanks” to Ember Construction who I emailed about BSL scaffolders harassing me. Although it wasn’t their job (they were looking after the one over the road) they took it upon themselves to call the scaffolders and give them a telling off! They also assured me that they won’t ever work with BSL Scaffolding again. They didn’t have to call them, especially as it wasn’t anything to do with them and I just wanted to take a moment to applaud them for this superb allyship.
So what happened immediately after GBBF?
After my original article and associated Instagram post went live, the CAMRA Chairman Ash-Corbett Collins left the following comment on my Instagram:
I was in touch with Tom Stainer, Chief Exec at CAMRA to discuss what happened at GBBF and I never got any further on receiving an ‘official’ quote about what the next steps would be.
However, I do know Laura Emson (People Director for Events and Awards) outside of CAMRA and we’ve had an extensive chat about what we can do (while wearing our many hats) to make a difference to the festival experience moving forward. We currently work on projects together for Women on Tap CIC – Laura is currently on its Advisory Board.
I know Laura was working tirelessly at GBBF and a few volunteers messaged me during the festival to say that my blog was mentioned in volunteer briefings and “changes were made” there and then at GBBF. So that’s good to know. Laura confirmed afterwards that changes like moving tables and enhanced quiet spaces for volunteers were put into action while the festival was happening which is positive.
I know people were busy but I wish I had confirmation of the full list of improvements that had been made while the festival was still on because I might have been persuaded to return to the festival and the Brum Beer Babs meet-up I was due to attend on Friday. I’d been put off attending by some troll account that left me the following message (the account was later deleted):
I know Laura would have taken my call at the drop of a hat if I’d have has taken that step. But I was conscious that I didn’t want this to just become Laura’s problem or responsibility when she had enough on her plate at GBBF.
We know that GBBF will be now be no more but that doesn’t mean we can’t take stock and learn from what happened. I just want festivals, trade events, tap rooms, and the industry as a whole to be a safer place for all. A welcoming one, one that encourages and welcomes more new people into the community because we need more people to spend more on beer so that the businesses / brands and places we love can survive! In the current world we are living in – community and connection is more important than ever.
I know that the behaviours experienced on a micro-level at GBBF are symptomatic of those on the rise nationally and worldwide but I am of the opinion that instead of me being paralysed with inaction and negativity, that I want to use this experience to do something about it. I love this industry and I won’t be pushed out. I also want to pave the way for other people to join – and not be put off.
Laura and I are currently working under the banner of Women on Tap CIC with Rachel Auty on a few initiatives. More about one of those later in this post.
Was this just me?
I wanted to do some further investigation. Firstly around GBBF but then moving on to see if it’s just beer. What is it like for women working in other drinks settings?
I also wanted to explore beyond drinks and into music – we all know that industry is rife with misogyny and yet, some of the music festivals really get it right in terms of cultivating safe spaces for communities to thrive. What can we learn from them?
Then in the final part – I’ll loop back to what’s worked well so far, looking at some practical examples we can all learn from and follow.
Grab a comfy seat, and let’s delve into what I found.
GBBF – how was it for other attendees?
After my experience I asked people to come forward with their own experiences of GBBF and I collated these anonymous responses on my Instagram. Here’s a few below, and to view them all you can in my GBBF Instagram Highlights on Instagram.
What struck me is that the ripples, as suspected, are deeper than just the guest attendee experience but also the volunteers and trade / industry too. These behaviours have been allowed to thrive and before we go feet first diving into bashing GBBF/CAMRA, it’s not just that festival. It’s bigger than that.
Also, many people are just generally put off attending CAMRA events in general. What can we do to change that?
I asked a few people I know and respect in the industry to drop in their thoughts on GBBF and Lucy, Owner of The Dodo Micropub said:
“I actually purposely avoid most CAMRA beer festivals because there’s often some sort of sexist micro aggression/undertone. Examples below – these would just not be comments made if I was a man.
“At GBBF one year, the man behind the bar remarked in surprise that I knew quite a lot about beer. It was the trade session you’d hope there was beer knowledge amongst most people!
In my original post I emphasised that for some reason the perpetrators think that GBBF is a safe space for them to say and do as they please. I’ve always had negative experiences at GBBF – I’ve been going for 15 years. I knew when I attended even back then that I needed a thicker skin and it was just accepted that I’d have to “just deal with it” while there. All my colleagues knew it too when I was there on a work front. We actually even had strategies in place to helicopter me out of difficult conversations and scenarios. Sad but true. I also documented a few experiences I had at BrewLDN a few years back – so it’s not just GBBF.
Maybe one angle to consider about why GBBF didn’t work and was often placed on people’s ‘avoid list’ for many is this one from David Jesudason:
So we really need to review the model for who’s on the ground, running these festivals and events. The volunteer model of running events and alcohol consumption aren’t always aligned. Rachel Hendry from Burum Collective added:
“It’s really important people work with those who have experience managing and facilitating social spaces where alcohol is consumed – volunteers aren’t always going to cut it when it comes to important factors such as knowing when to cut people off, implementing structures of safety and spotting the signs of inappropriate behaviour.
However we know the problem is bigger than GBBF and beer festivals as content creator, Della Hyde who has worked in the industry for years echoes:
“We women, have to know twice as much, work twice as hard and be twice as likeable to have half the recognition that men get in the industry. Men can make mistakes, they can even be downright rude, but women have to always be polite, kind and approachable. Because of this we smile through, while we endure micro sexism because to point it out every time we are la led a problem incredibly quickly. That label spreads and damages the credibility we have worked incredibly hard for.
“A tight rope of endurance and fame smiles falls on women to walk. Isn’t any wonder women are turning away from the beer industry in droves?”
Surely this is bigger than beer?
Would I have fared better at a gin event for example?
Generally the handful of people I survey about gin were pretty favourable about being a woman in the industry. Some say their experiences have been only what can be referred to as ‘glowing’. I wanted to share this take from Sarah Miller, Gin Expert, Drinks Writer and Judge who offered me the following thoughts:
“I’ve been in the drinks industry for about 10 years and I think I’ve been pretty fortunate. While there are plenty of supportive women out there, two fairly high profile men in the gin industry were particularly supportive of me in the early days and helped me get to where I am today (from a blogger to a freelance writer and spirits judge). There are definitely still occasions at press events and spirits competitions where the number of men (sometimes significantly) outnumber the number of women, but it definitely seems to be improving. And while I have also been in the position of struggling to get some men in the industry to listen to me/my opinion I think that’s happening less too. I tend to focus on gin/vodka, RTDs and No/Low and my sense is that women are pretty well represented in those categories but less so in whisky and brown spirits.
“Likewise I’ve usually felt comfortable and welcome at trade events and drinks festivals with the exception of a whisky festival at which there were very few women and I did feel quite uncomfortable and unwelcome at many of the stands. I’ve also been stood at a gin stand at a festival where the male founder/owner was clearly prioritising – and pretty much only serving – the young, attractive women and ignoring everyone else. Suffice to say I have never revisited that brand and never will!”
So moving onto Whisky. I mean this one did have a worse report as expected and detailed above. The OurWhisky Foundation set up in 2022 is a non-profit organisation, established in March 2022, to recognise, support and empower women working in whisky around the world, while advocating for a more inclusive and diverse industry. It states on its website:
“Studies have shown that women are significantly underrepresented in whisky marketing. This male-centric imagery perpetuates the idea that whisky is not a drink for women, even as female consumers and industry professionals gain influence.”
Sounds a lot similar to beer right?
I asked Sarah Jeltema, “The Whisky Nomad” for a take on the whisky world. She said:
“It’s exhausting; feeling like I have to prove myself all the time. So I strive to show up not to prove I belong in whiskey spaces, but to improve the conversation and offer something meaningful, and maybe learn from someone else too.”
“As a woman in whiskey, I’ve had countless moments where someone assumed I needed to be taught the basics, even when I was the educator in the room. It’s frustrating, but it also taught me something deeper: stereotypes cut both ways. Just as men can underestimate women, women can misjudge men. The real progress comes when we set aside the labels and simply connect as whiskey drinkers, as people who share a love for the spirit and the stories it carries.”
Ok, so wine is often gendered as “female” and I reached out to a few wine ‘influencers’ and received nothing. So I have to raise a glass of Sauvignon Blanc to the notion that all might be well in that world. I’ll update more when I find out on my quest.
Music to my ears
Music was another natural place for comparison. It struggles with many of the same issues as beer. So what does the industry have in place to promote safer events and spaces?
Good Night Out, Safer Spaces Now, and Girls Against are organisations often partnering with festivals and events to address harassment. More than 100 festivals / organisations also signed up to the Safe Festivals Charter in 2022 which put the onus on everyone to make the spaces safer:
“Festivals should feel safe and diverse. All party-goers can play a part in modelling a culture where everyone’s festival experience is valued and no one is made to feel uncomfortable.”
However its platforms look pretty dormant since 2023. The modelling is there – so can beer follow its lead?
Other music festivals with notable experiences are Shambhala Music Festival (Canada) which has the Sanctuary and Women’s Safe Space tents. While Glastonbury provides Sensory Calm Spaces designed for neurodivergent attendees—featuring adjustable lighting, textures, weighted blankets, ear defenders, and autism specialists. It also has Welfare Centres staffed by Samaritans offering emotional support.
Cheer Up Luv also teamed up with Glamour Magazine to focus on Misogyny In Music. Here’s a sample from the article:
“The insidious nature of misogyny within music has been well chronicled. In the UK last year, the Musicians’ Census found that over 50% of women in the industry had experienced discrimination, and one third of female musicians had been sexually harassed.”
The conclusion cited the positive work Good Night Out has done for safer spaces, however the venues, organisers and festivals that wanted to undergo all the relevant training noted that the affordability in the “current financial climate” was a major blocker.
I’ll circle back to Good Night Out later in the resources section.
What has worked in beer?
I want to take stock here and look at what has worked in both beer festivals and how safer spaces have been cultivated in general and shine a light on those.
The Coven is the first example that springs to mind for me. I was lucky enough to be involved for two years at Leeds International Beer Festival and Pip Jolley did an amazing job of hosting a fully fledged Coven space – a teepee full of breweries and a safe space for people to celebrate beer and also take cover when things got too much. The vibes were unmatched. As part of the experience, there was a designated safe tent for attendees to hide away and reset if things got too much or even if they needed a sugary snack and a place to talk. Pip had a team of trained wellness officers patrolling the festival too.
Ask For Angela is often the tried and trusted initiative. And Everyone Welcome is another initiative used in the past by the industry. And some breweries do their own take on it like Attic Brew Co. which I can’t disclose here for safety purposes but I can assure you they have this in place.
We often talk about Codes of Conduct which are great if everyone lives and breathes them. Hand Brew Co are a great example of this in practice.
I wanted to understand why Hand Brew Co. went down this route and Head Brewer, Kate Hyde said:
“I like to think even before we had an official code of conduct we operated via an unwritten one anyway. Our brewery being so closely linked to two wonderful community pubs we have to have inclusivity baked into our operations.
“I think it’s important to recognise that beer attracts a broad spectrum of generations and cultures, and we see this most at pubs and beer events. There will inevitably be moments where we need to be generous and kind and gently redirect a statement or assumption whether that is directed at us or the wider room.
“It can be tiring and it can be upsetting or even triggering but identifying the world we want to live in is not enough and purely cancelling the people that don’t conform will not help us build it. But as they say on the aeroplane safety bit, put on your own oxygen mask first. Make sure you’re ok and if doing ‘the work’ today is too hard then thankfully this is an industry of allies and increasingly safe spaces. We can and should ask for help.”
Cheers to that.
So, what help is available?
I saw this BlueSky comment from Rachel Hendry, following on from my original blog about my GBBF experience – so it would be remiss of me not to encourage you to pay for some advice from the experts that know what to do.
Times are tough and I don’t want to put the weight of activism and free labour into anyone’s court. I encourage you to reach out and invest in working with consultants and organisations that can help and guide you.
Here’s a few:
Burum Collective of course!
And Rachel from Burum offered the following considerations to consider as a first port of call:
- Is there training in place for volunteers?
- Are there places/people for volunteers and consumers to speak to / signpost / escalate when issues arise?
- Has a zero tolerance policy been made clear and are there people in place to see it through?
- What is the signage like in the event?
- Are there accessible toilets / bar spaces?
- Is everyone encouraged to drink in pints or are measures limited to halves and thirds to encourage a slower and more mindful pace of drinking?
- Is there enough food and water available?
- What DEI measures have been considered?
- Are these considered spaces where all feel able to participate?
- When something goes wrong what are the next steps, what processes are in place?
Women on Tap CIC:
Aims to ensure all women* feel welcome, are safe, and have equal opportunities in beer. They collaborate with leading bars, breweries, industry experts, and creatives to compile thought-provoking communications and distinctive, welcoming experiences designed to encourage women to find and further explore their passion for beer. They are currently searching for organisations to partner with as Changemakers and to deliver its new initiatives including a bursary scheme and buddy scheme.
More info on the Buddying Scheme:
“The WOT Buddying Scheme enables you to request an introduction ahead of the event day to someone you can speak to in advance and/ or who can meet you on arrival and be a buddy – as actively or passively as you would like – through the day. We fully brief your buddy on the types of things that you might benefit from before we introduce you. The level of buddying you’d like is then left up to you. Women On Tap is piloting this new buddying initiative as part of the bursary scheme for IWCBD 2026.”
Become a Women on Tap Changemaker.
Ren Navarro:
Honestly, Ren is a tour de force with over 20 years experience of corporate customer service and management, plus 12 years hands on experience in the beer world. Ren cultivates diversity not just in beer, but beyond. Work with Ren to address the lack of diversity in a multitude of industries and work together to improve it. Start that conversation by clicking here.
The Coven:
Work with Pip Jolly to cultivate a safe space at your festivals and get the Coven’s Wellness Officers into the mix.
The Coven Teepee at Leeds International Beer Festival was honestly the best beer festival experience I’ve ever had! The Coven is an initiative that aims to bring diversity and neurodiversity advocacy to the beer world and the broader business landscape. They support neurodivergent individuals in accessing beer and employment, and help businesses understand and utilize their employees’ talents.
They also run events, like the Coven Teepee at festivals, and collaborate with breweries to create beers that support good causes.
Find out more about The Coven.
Safe Bar Network:
Is one organisation that delivers this training on mass scale in the hospitality industry. It’s US based but Safe Bar Network “partners with alcohol-serving venues to help them increase profit, increase repeat customers, and decrease employee turnover. We achieve these goals by training their employees to use active bystander skills to proactively prevent overconsumption, harassment, and other forms of harm.
Currently this is primarily US based but I’ve requested up-to-date info on what they are doing in the UK as I know it is currently working with some venues this side of the pond.
Be inclusive Hospitality CIC:
A not-for-profit building a thriving community to accelerate race equity within hospitality, food, and drink. Hire Lorraine and her team as consultants to deliver services such as: encompassing research, advisory, culture audits, focus groups, and more.
Good Night Out
Good Night Out Campaign is on a mission for safer nightlife. It believes nights out should be about fun and freedom, not fear. They help event organisers and licensed venues to create safer spaces. Its accreditation programme will help you draft and communicate your policy and publicity, offer guidance on collaborating with your host venue and provides an interactive team workshop to increase your understanding of how to respond to and prevent sexual violence at your events.
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Beyond these resources there’s a range of truly great people, breweries and indie venues that run successful events so collaboration is the name of the game here.
I really do think the future here is to work together under one banner for a common goal. Wouldn’t it be incredible to go into pubs, bars, taprooms, breweries and festivals knowing that they team/organisers have all had the same universal training and you as a guest can feel safer because you know this e.g. a Good Night Out logo when you enter and on all comms?
All of the above I’ve written about here, falls against the backdrop of the current trading environment and pressures hospitality on the whole is facing. As well as the evolution of the drinking habits of the “next generation”. If we can’t reshape and evolve beer to be seen as more welcoming and inclusive, then there’s way more at risk. This is a whole other blog post though…
Please continue this conversation in the comments – I’d love to hear from you.
Craft Beer Pin Up 