In the run-up to International Women’s Day on 8 March, we feature this timely piece focused on Penderyn Head Distiller and General Manager Laura Davies, who has worked at the distillery in Brecon Beacons, South Wales, for almost ten years.
Despite her senior position, and deep knowledge of the industry and the spirit, Davies is often ignored by distillery visitors while others assume she works in sales.
As she prepares to address a Women Who Whiskey forum in the USA today (19 February), Davies considers what she describes as the “laddish culture” in the whisky industry.
Laura Davies feels some consumers consider female employees in the whisky industry as “novelties”.
Her comments on women, and her own experiences in the industry, come as Penderyn Distillery releases a Women Who Whiskey 10th Anniversary bottle of Penderyn Legend. The Madeira-finished single malt celebrates the Women Who Whiskey movement’s decade-long commitment to an inclusive whisk(e)y industry.
They also hark back to alleged sexist comments about Penderyn’s single malt range by whisky writer Jim Murray in 2020, and to later comments from journalist Becky Paskin. As reported, Baskin led A Dram Disgrace workshop in the Just Platform series focused on whisky, women and sexism.
Davies joined Penderyn in April 2012 and is now responsible for all aspects of the distillery operation including malt intake, mash tun, fermentations and the operation of Penderyn’s stills. She is also a Brand Ambassador and has spent two years managing all aspects of the distillery’s Visitor Centre operation.
She notes the increasing popularity of whisky amongst female consumers. Davies cites recent research by data and insights specialist Kantar indicating that 40 million more glasses of whisky are now consumed by women in Britain compared to 2010. And, while the amount of whisky women drink has increased by +15%, the total for male drinkers has increased by +6%.
Davies, 33, admits she has experienced sexism during her career. However, she is quick to point out that it is a problem she has not encountered at Penderyn, despite the fact that men make up a large part of the various teams she manages.
“They see me as an equal,” she says. “They have never told me I can’t do something because I’m a woman. I speak with our importers in the USA regularly and they value the female opinions just as much as the males.”
Davies explains that the egalitarian spirit at Penderyn Distillery is not universal across all parts of the whisky industry.
“I have been to whisky consumer shows where there is a laddish culture. Men don’t have to think about it but women have to think: ‘I’m in a room with men who have had an awful lot to drink’.” She adds that men have told her that they have bottles of whisky in their cupboard which are older than she is.
“When I have travelled with a male colleague, I’ve been asked: ‘Do you work in the sales department?’ a few times. That sort of insinuation is you are somewhere you shouldn’t naturally be.
“Occasionally someone comes to the site and meets me and introduces themselves to the male first and ignores me completely. Or we walk into a room and they speak directly to my male colleague and ignore me until they’re pulled up on it.”
Davies says there are “some men, mainly members of the public, who are not used to seeing women in the industry”, adding, “They can be sceptical about women in the industry; women can be treated as a novelty.”
Explaining why she decided to pursue a career in the whisky industry, Davies says she moved into the sector “rather randomly” after finishing a degree in forensic science and criminology.
“I love it; it’s great fun and every day is different. I’ve got a great deal of flexibility and creativity,” she concludes.
As reported, Penderyn opened a new distillery in the north Wales coastal town of Llandudno in May last year.
