DB Breweries' MD lambasts sexist attitude of home brew competition organisers

DB Breweries’ managing director, Brian Blake has lambasted the organisers of a Lake Hayes home brew competition after it banned local woman Rachel Beer from entering purely because of her gender.

Mr Blake says he cannot believe the archaic attitude of the event’s organisers and wonders if they realise its 2012 and not the Stone Age.

“Women have been making a huge contribution to the New Zealand brewing industry for decades and DB has many women working in senior brewing and management roles. I will be getting in touch with Rachel personally to invite her to work alongside one of our brewers, female and male, at our Timaru or Auckland breweries just to reiterate that it doesn’t matter to DB whether she is female or not. What matters is her passion for brewing – something Rachel has clearly demonstrated she has plenty off.”

DB currently employs several females in senior brewing roles including Kylie Harris who manages the iconic Tui Brewery in Mangatainoka; senior brewer Natasha O’Brien who works at Waitemata Brewery and who recently joined an elite invite-only panel of judges at the Brewing Industry International Awards in the UK. She has also been invited to judge at the 2012 World Beer Cup in San Diego in May. Former ‘baby brewer’ also Beth Park works for DB in Timaru as a beer quality manager and has more than 15 years brewing experience.

Mr Blake hopes Rachel will accept her personal invitation and looks forward to meeting her in person.