New Diversity Award Partnership

Written By Rachel Auty

Women On Tap CIC has partnered with The Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA) to introduce a brand new ‘Diversity Champion of the Year’ category at the SIBA Business Awards 2025.

The new award celebrates independent breweries who have made equity, diversity and inclusivity a central part of their business – be that with a focus on gender, sexual orientation, race and ethnicity, socioeconomic background, disability, neurodiversity, or age.

The winner will need to demonstrate an authentic commitment to creating a diverse workplace alongside tangible positive outcomes for your business and team. With judges especially looking for schemes, policies, campaigns or other initiatives that can inspire the wider industry to follow suit.

As well as joining the judging panel for the SIBA Business Awards 2025, Women On Tap’s Rachel Auty also helped to create the criteria for this important new award;

“Recent industry research from SIBA and other sources has evidenced the lack of progress in making the UK beer industry more diverse. We have to keep this subject front and centre, and we are incredibly grateful to SIBA for introducing this award and inviting us to be a partner. We urge the industry to make a renewed commitment to creating workplaces and experiences where everyone can thrive. At Women On Tap we focus on gender equality, and we want to see more women working in beer at all levels, especially in brewing and leadership, as well as more women choosing and enjoying beer socially.”

The SIBA Business Awards seek to congratulate excellence in the brewing industry across a variety of categories, from pump clip, can and bottle design, to efforts taken by brewers to make their business more sustainable, innovative or diverse, as well as naming the UK’s best pubs, bars and retailers of beer from independent breweries. The judging panel is chaired by Neil Walker, SIBA’s Head of Comms and Marketing.

“SIBA are delighted to be working with Women On Tap to launch the new Diversity Champion of the Year Award. Rachel’s knowledge and expertise was absolutely invaluable in the creation of this award which seeks to highlight breweries who show a real commitment to promoting equity, diversity and inclusivity.”

Another change for 2025 is the renaming of the ‘Empowering People’ Award, which will be known as the Employer of the Year award moving forwards. SIBA say the new name brings it in line with the Brewers’ Brewer of the Year, Brewery of the Year, Supplier Associate of the Year and new Diversity Champion of the Year awards in the awards line up.

The SIBA Business Awards 2025 are judged by a panel of industry experts and presented at the UK’s biggest beer and brewing event – BeerX UK in Liverpool, March 2025. For more information about the awards visit www.siba.co.uk/businessawards

SIBA Business Awards 2025: Categories

  • Marketing Implementation

  • Sustainable Business

  • Community Engagement

  • Best Individual Design

  • Best Concept Design

  • Business Innovation

  • Commercial Achievement

  • Best Collaboration

  • Diversity Champion of the Year (New)

  • Employer of the Year (Formerly ‘Empowering People’)

  • UK’s Best New Independent Craft Brewery

  • UK’s Best Independent Brewery Taproom

  • UK’s Best Independent Brewery Webshop

  • UK’s Best Independent Beer Retailer

  • UK’s Best Independent Beer Bar or Pub – City

  • UK’s Best Independent Beer Bar or Pub – Rural

  • Brewers’ Brewer of the Year (Brewer nominated)

  • Supplier Associate of the year (Brewer nominated)

Enter the SIBA Business Awards 2025 via www.siba.co.uk/businessawards

Rachel Auty
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