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Queena Wong
the “very uplifting, positive environment” of female sommeliers. “While we are waiting for proper frame-
works to be put in place – because I don’t know how long this is going to take, and cul- ture change for the industry is not going to happen overnight – what I can do is provide a place for women to feel like they are not alone.
There is support,” she says. The Caterer spoke to six female sommeliers
and drinks professionals about their experi- ences in the industry, any advice they had for women joining the trade, and their thoughts on where it is headed.
Should we use the term female sommeliers?
The addition of the word female in many hospitality roles – such as female chef or female sommelier – continues to elicit a diverse response. Chang says she doesn’t see the need to label roles by gender, because “we all should be treated the same – that’s what we eventually want, right?”. Denney agrees that the term can be a bit of a “double-edged sword” because it shouldn’t have to mean female sommeliers are any different from a male sommelier, but does not believe it’s the “worst thing in the world, because it’s a good thing to help bring visibility to the role”. “It is a fantastic career path, but then at the same time, I’m not special because I’m a woman in this role,” she adds. Wong adds the decision to use the term
female sommelier or not is down to personal choice. “There are some female bodies that say we should be dropping the female reference because a chef is just a chef, not a female chef, but my view is when there is strong gender bias, I’m really proud to say I’m a female wine collector, because there’s not many of us.”
www.thecaterer.com 8 March 2024 | The Caterer | 27
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