Bedford Brewhouse celebrates International Women's Day

The Brewhouse chain invited women from Bedford to take part in International Women’s Day - and even renamed it International Women's Brew Day.

The event celebrated the significant role women have played in the history of brewing.

In Ancient Egypt, beer was almost entirely made and consumed by women, and throughout the 18th century, women all around the world were at the forefront of the craft.

Until the 15th century, women were brewing and selling the majority of ale for both domestic and commercial use. After the Black Plague, when brewing became more commercialised, it moved firmly into the hands of men.

Gail Bunn, marketing manager at Brewhouse & Kitchen, said: "Our International Women's Brew Day allowed us to bring together women of the local community with others from around the world. We are really happy to donate the proceeds of this Breast Cancer Research.

Today, beer companies are more aware of the importance of female beer drinkers and women now feel more comfortable to drink beer. We’re seeing this reflected in both our customers base and growth of women participating in our Brewing Academy, which fosters successful careers in brewing.

"On International Women’s Day, we wanted to celebrate women’s contributions to the industry and encourage new ladies to consider the trade by introducing them to the brewing process.”