Businesses from across the brewing and pub industry will be showcasing what inclusion means to team members as part of National Inclusion Week this week (26 September – 2 October).
Designed to celebrate inclusion and encourage action to create inclusive workplaces, the week will see everyone from publicans to brewery operation managers sharing their experiences of what inclusion means to them in the brewing and pub sector.
The celebration comes just three months after the British Beer and Pub Association launched its #OpenToAll Charter, a sector-wide commitment for businesses, to help them embrace inclusion and celebrate diversity across all their sites.
In one of the short videos used to showcase staff experiences from across the sector, Tracey Bowen who runs The Unicorn Inn, a Star Pubs & Bars pub in Hanley said: “I am proud to offer a welcoming and safe venue for everyone at The Unicorn Inn, and inclusion to me means being respected for who I am.”
Aivy Nguyen, Quality Manager at Budweiser Brewing Group’s Camden Town Brewery said:
“As a woman in the leadership team at Budweiser’s brewery in Enfield, I feel I’m always empowered to be my most authentic self, with no barriers. To me inclusion means equal access and opportunities which I feel I have at Budweiser.”
The videos also showcase some of the initiatives brewers and pubs are taking to ensure diversity and inclusion throughout their workforce and within their venues. Ben Jenkins from Asahi talks of the organisation’s Shine programme which looks to champion diversity and meet targets for senior level diverse leadership by 2030.
Lucy Hartery who works at Molson Coors talks of her experience of announcing she was transgender almost four years ago and describes how the reaction she received from her employer was nothing short of ‘superb’.
Another showcases Vee Muli, a General Manager for Greene King from north Devon who has taken part in the organisation’s reverse mentoring programme. She notes how the experience of mentoring Greene King’s Chief Executive Nick Mackenzie has helped them both ‘grow as people’.
Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer and Pub Association said:
“The opportunities that exist within brewing and pub businesses are diverse and so it is right that those businesses also have a diverse and talented workforce. We recognise how an inclusive workforce ensures people can thrive and be their very best selves at work.
“Our members are not only embracing inclusion but championing it throughout their businesses and we want to showcase that, so everyone feels welcome in our industry not only as a team member but as customers as well.”
The week will also see a diversity & inclusion toolkit for BBPA members being made available, created in collaboration with diversity consultants Inclusive Employers; one of a series of steps the British Beer and Pub Association and its members are doing to act and raise awareness about diversity and inclusion within the brewing and pub sector.
