Drinks United is a cross-industry collaboration founded by WSTA, WSET, and The Drinks Trust. By driving coordinated action, they aim to foster workplaces that reflect and empower the people within the drinks industry.

Drinks United have written an article for the London Wine Fair focused on their four strategic objectives which are:

Safe: Establish a culture of safety and harassment prevention
Supported: Provide and promote accessible DEI resources
Inclusive: Increase representation and foster inclusivity
United: Drive industry-led change through collective leadership

SAFE

Creating Safer Workplaces: Why It’s Time for the Drinks Industry to Act

Every person in our industry deserves to feel safe at work, whether they’re pouring wine behind a bar, working in an office, or attending a trade event. But right now, that’s not always the reality.

The Women in Wine report revealed that over 30% of women in the wine trade have experienced harassment at work (1); in the whisky industry, that number climbs to over 70% (2). Beyond this, there remains a lack of comprehensive data on the experiences and risks faced by underrepresented or vulnerable groups across the industry. Yet the stories shared publicly and privately point to a widespread issue that requires urgent attention.

The risk is heightened by factors unique to our sector: alcohol in professional settings, late nights, and fragmented HR structures across small and medium-sized enterprises.

Drinks United is here to help change that.

Making Safety a Shared Standard

We’re working towards creating an industry where safeguarding is not just a legal requirement; it's a foundational part of how we work. As part of our strategy, we are:

Developing model policies to help organisations set clear expectations and protect staff
Providing training frameworks, including bystander training and code of conduct awareness
Launching a resource hub with practical tools for all businesses, large and small

We are also collaborating with grassroots voices, legal experts, and global initiatives to ensure the UK drinks sector adopts best-in-class safeguarding practices.

Let’s Talk About It

These conversations aren’t always easy, but they are essential. And we’re ready to lead them.

Join us at the London Wine Fair for our leadership panel:
“The conversations leaders should be having – but aren’t”
Tuesday 20th May, 17:15, Centre Stage

This session will bring together senior voices from across the drinks world to explore how we shift culture from the top down and make safety the industry norm.

Your Next Step

If you’re ready to help create safer environments across our sector:

Equip your team with safeguarding policies and start important conversations today
Visit drinksunited.co.uk/get-involved for how to engage and support.
Add our supporters badge to your LinkedIn or email signature.

Stay in touch! Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

References:

Curious Vines and Proof Insights. (2023). Women in Wine Report
OurWhisky Foundation. (2023). Do You Even Like Whisky? Report

Supported

From Policy to Practice: Tools to Help Your Business Champion DEI

Many businesses in the drinks industry are committed to creating more inclusive and equitable workplaces. But for too long, the tools to support that ambition have been fragmented, inconsistent, or out of reach – especially for smaller companies without dedicated HR or DEI teams.

At Drinks United, we believe that making meaningful progress on diversity, equity and inclusion should not depend on company size or geography. That’s why we are building a centralised resource hub to support individuals and organisations across the UK drinks sector – from sole traders to multinationals.

A Practical Resource for the Whole Industry

The resource hub, launching this year, is designed to offer practical, accessible and sector-specific tools that support day-to-day implementation of DEI and safeguarding best practice.

It will include:

Policy templates, including code of conduct and anti-harassment guidance
Signposting to trusted training providers and sector initiatives
Quick-reference guides to inclusive recruitment, workplace culture and reporting
Resources for different roles and business types – from hospitality venues to suppliers

Our approach is collaborative. We are working with organisations and experts across the industry to identify existing tools, address known gaps, and ensure everything we offer is usable, inclusive and evidence-based.

Accessible by Design

One of the clear messages we’ve heard from businesses – especially SMEs – is the need for free, high-quality resources that don’t require a consultancy budget to access or implement.

We’re committed to ensuring the Drinks United hub meets that need. That includes free core resources available to all, a user-friendly platform designed for ease of use, content tailored to the UK drinks context, and signposting to experienced service providers for companies seeking deeper, paid support

By including both free resources and referrals to specialist DEI and safeguarding providers, we aim to support the whole ecosystem – enabling businesses to take action, and connecting them with the expertise they need to go further.

Your Next Step

To be the first to know when the resource hub launches – and to access tools as they go live – sign up via our Get Involved page.

Visit drinksunited.co.uk/get-involved
Join our mailing list to receive updates and access new tools
Share with colleagues and industry networks who might benefit.

Stay in touch! Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Inclusive

Building Belonging: Representation, Mentorship and Meaningful Change

What does it take to build a drinks industry where everyone feels they belong?

Diversity and inclusion aren’t new conversations for the sector, but progress has often been uneven. While awareness is growing, representation still drops sharply as you move up the ladder – and too many people from underrepresented groups still feel isolated or excluded.

At Drinks United, we believe that inclusion is about more than policies or percentages. It’s about creating a culture where everyone can contribute, grow, and be recognised – across every part of our industry.

Why Representation Matters

Only 25.8% of leadership roles in hospitality are held by women. Ethnic minorities make up just 9% of the workforce, compared to 14% nationally. The barriers to progression are systemic – from lack of mentorship to bias in recruitment and promotion.

But beyond the numbers, the human stories make it clear: inclusion must be intentional, and it must be shared.

Shivani Tomar, DipWSET and Awards Manager at Decanter, joined the Drinks United Advisory Council to help shape that change.

“As a woman, a person of colour, and someone originally from India, my journey in the UK drinks industry has not always been straightforward. I wanted to join the Advisory Council to give back and help shape an industry where diversity is valued, opportunities are accessible, and inclusivity is the norm.” – Shivani Tomar, Drinks United Advisory Council

The Power of Lived Experience

For many in our industry, inclusion starts with being seen – and being heard.

Gary Keller, founder of Keller’s Cellar, brings his lived experience of disability inclusion to his role on the Council.

“I have a hidden disability. Through leading the ENABLE ERG at Molson Coors, I’ve listened to stories from across the disability spectrum – and worked to challenge policy and practice to improve how people are supported. I joined Drinks United to continue that work, and to help others feel safe enough to speak up.” – Gary Keller, Drinks United Advisory Council

These stories are not isolated. They represent the everyday realities faced by many in our sector – and the opportunity we have to do better.

Your Voice Matters

As part of our commitment to building an inclusive industry, Drinks United will soon launch a cross-industry survey to better understand the lived experiences, barriers, and aspirations of professionals working in drinks.

This survey will inform the development of future programmes, including mentorship pilots, inclusive leadership development, and targeted sector support.

Your Next Step

Help shape the future of the drinks industry:

Take part in our upcoming survey – launching in May 2025
Tag us in your story of inclusion on LinkedIn, Instagram or Facebook.
Visit drinksunited.co.uk/get-involved for how to engage and support.

Inclusion starts with listening – and leads to action.

Stay in touch! Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

References

WiHTL. (2020). Women in Hospitality, Travel, and Leisure 2020 Report
Food and Drink Federation. (2021). Inclusion and Diversity Report.

United

The Power of Collective Leadership: Why Now Is the Time to Step Up

Inclusion, equity and safety are not the responsibility of one team, one brand, or one initiative. They require joined-up action – and leadership that recognises its role in shaping industry-wide change.

The drinks industry is beginning to reckon with long-standing inequalities in who feels represented, supported and protected. But progress will stall unless senior leaders take shared responsibility for creating workplaces that reflect the diversity of our talent, our consumers and our future.

That’s why Drinks United was established: to coordinate and amplify the work already happening – and to help move from good intentions to sustained impact.

Leadership Matters

Company values, workplace culture, and investment in inclusion are ultimately determined at the top. When senior leaders engage directly with equity and inclusion, outcomes shift:

Staff feel safer speaking up
Barriers to progression are tackled
Funding and resources reach the areas that need them most
Accountability becomes part of how we do business

This is not theoretical. Inclusive leadership is 2.5 times more likely to be associated with teams who feel they belong (1). Culture change only happens when those with influence lead from the front.

What We’re Hearing

This year Drinks United has hosted one leadership consultation, with a second planned in June, bringing together managing directors, HR leads and DEI champions to understand the barriers and opportunities for industry-wide progress. Participants highlighted:

A need for shared frameworks and language on inclusion and safeguarding
The challenge of resource limitations, particularly for SMEs
The desire for sector benchmarks and accountability tools

We’re taking this learning into our next phase of work, including a leadership engagement and learning event planned for October 2025.

Make Your Commitment

By working together, we can set a new standard for the UK drinks industry – one where DEI is embedded in leadership practice, not treated as a separate issue.

Whether you’re a CEO, people lead or board member, your role is pivotal. Drinks United offers practical ways to engage from advisory support on DEI integration to peer learning forums and progress tracking

Your Next Step

If you’re ready to lead by example:

Visit drinksunited.co.uk/get-involved for ways to engage and support.
Add our supporters badge to your LinkedIn or email signature.
Join us at the London Wine Fair for our leadership panel: “The conversations leaders should be having – but aren’t”, Tuesday 20th May, 17:15, Centre Stage.

Collective leadership is the only way we’ll make lasting, sector-wide change.

Stay in touch! Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Reference: