A huge congratulations to Katherine Smart who has been elected the first female Master of the Worshipful Company of Brewers in its 461-year history! 👏 Hear more from Katherine below about what this role means to her and how she celebrated the appointment 👇
I'm incredibly honoured to share that I was elected on 10 July 2024 as the first female Master of the Worshipful Company of Brewers in its 461-year history. The Brewers’ Company, one of City of London’s historic Livery Companies, has been a cornerstone of our industry and plays a crucial role connecting brewers across the industry and supporting education institutions and research for the sector. This role is particularly meaningful to me as it highlights how far we've come in an industry that was once predominantly male-dominated. When I began my career, I was often the only woman at industry events. Today, it's inspiring to see so many talented women shaping the future of brewing. It is my honour to follow in the footsteps of former Diageo and Guinness colleagues who have been elected Master of the company, including: Edward Guinness, Peter Lipscome, Stephen Wingfield Digby, Sir Hugh Beaver and Tony Mair. I would like to extend my congratulations to Diageo’s Nuno Teles and Colin O’Brien who were also elected Liverymen. It is traditional to celebrate the election of a Master at Court Lunch in Brewers’ Hall in London and this event was also held on Wednesday 10 July. We celebrated with "Arthur's Last Ale," a special brew recreated from a recipe in a Brewers Ledger from 1796 by Pete Simpson and the talented team in the Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Dublin. We also raised at toast to King Charles III with a one of a kind ale called “The Lost Barrel”. Originally brewed for the opening of the Guinness Open Gate Brewery back in 2017, the team filled Guinness' Special Export Stout into Bulleit Rye Whiskey barrels. One of the fine barrels was thought lost and it was my great good fortune that earlier this year it was found! With an ABV of 14.8%, The Lost Barrel is a masterclass in barrel maturation: the silky texture is punctuated with a bourbon character, imparting a sweet, vanilla-infused aroma that complements the deeply roasted malts. It is my ambition to continue the Brewers’ Company’s efforts to increase funds for the Company’s General Charitable Trust which enables us to make valued contributions to our beneficiaries, and to champion our role within education and in supporting research that enables the future of our sector. #BrewingHistory #WomenInBrewing #IWorkForDiageo #WorshipfulCompanyOfBrewers