In Conversation

Here we highlight a woman working in the food and drink trade, delving into their current roles, how they began their professional journey and gain invaluable advice on working in this diverse space.

From winemakers and mead makers, brewers and distillers to teachers, founders, CEOs, journalists, and more – our women of the trade are impacting the industry from all aspects.

Q&A with Blanca Valencia Spanish Food & Drinks Speaker, Cook & Writer

Name: Blanca Valencia  Occupation & Company: Freelance Events and PR Spanish Food and Drinks, Speaker, Cook and Writer Tell me about your current role? I collaborate with the Spanish Commercial office in food promotions and events and work with DO Rueda and DO Rias Baixas in promoting their wines in Ireland. I also collaborate with…

Q&A with Santina Kennedy, PR & Cultural Events at The Powerscourt Distillery

Name : Santina Kennedy Role: PR & Cultural Events at The Powerscourt Distillery Tell me about your current role? I work at The Powerscourt Distillery in a PR/ Events role. It’s very varied, and ranges from curating cultural events to organising collaborations with other brands, to supporting the sales team with in-house VIP visitors etc.…

Q&A with Mary O Sullivan, owner of Beara Bitters

Name: Mary O Sullivan Occupation & Company: Owner, Beara Bitters Tell me about your current role? My current role is to drive growth into the company. We offer 200ml bottles that are sized for the bar and restaurant trade, 50ml bottles that were designed for the Off-licence trade (with home cocktail enthuiasts) and a 30ml…

Viki Baird, Boss Lady, Stillagarden Distillery & Visitor Centre

Name: Viki BairdOccupation & Company: Boss Lady, Stillagarden Distillery & Visitor Centre Tell me about your current role?I started the business in 2019, opened in March 2020 – then swiftly closed. Various openings and closing of the visitor center, thankfully the shop and manufacturing was allowed to continue throughout which gave us the opportunity to…

Q&A with Amanda Thomson, CEO and Founder of Thomson & Scott NOUGHTY.

Name: I’m Amanda Thomson Occupation & Company: CEO and Founder of Thomson & Scott NOUGHTY. Tell me about your current role? We’re planning to be the world’s No. 1 Premium Non-Alcoholic Wine Brand. The choice for traditional wine lovers.  How did you first get into the drinks industry? My initial steps in the industry were to move to…

Q&A with Neasa Corish Miquel

Name: Neasa Corish Miquel Occupation & Company: Co-proprietor (and wife!) of Laurent Miquel Family Wines, based in the Languedoc. Tell me about your current role? My role has evolved a lot in the 22 years since I moved to the Languedoc. Currently, I manage most things outside of the vineyards and the wine-making, which are…

Q&A with Brigid O’Hora from Virtual Vineyards

Name: Brigid O’Hora Occupation & Company: Owner of Virtual Vineyards. Tell me about your current role? My current role is varied and busy. I set up Virtual Vineyards in In September 2020. This is an online wine tasting events business that incorporates wine classes, tastings and events. I also operate on an ‘in person’ event…

Q&A With Sevgi Tüzel-Conghaile

Name: Sevgi Tüzel-Conghaile Occupation & Company: Owner at A WINE IDEA Tell me about your current role? I’m doing a bit of everything! A WINE IDEA is a one-person show. I’m sure I have some friends and family that think all I do is sip wine all day, the reality is quite different. I started…

Q&A with Leah Kilcullen, Marketing Coordinator at Whiplash Beer

Name: Leah Kilcullen Occupation & Company: Marketing Coordinator at Whiplash Beer Tell me about your current role? I started at Whiplash in August 2020, certainly an interesting time to be in the drinks industry! I came in part-time at first to help keep the social media channels rolling but this eventually grew into a wider…

Q&A with Ellen Leonard Bates from Diageo

Name: Ellen Leonard Bates Occupation & Company: Strategic Accounts Manager at Diageo Ireland Tell me about your current role? As strategic accounts manager, I look after the commercial elements involved with pub group accounts in the on-trade (on-premise). It is a customer-facing role across spirits and beer. I am also involved from a commercial perspective with…

Q&A with Avril Kirrane McMurrough of Boutique Wines

Name: Avril Kirrane McMorroughOccupation & Company: Business development and wine consultant at Boutique Wines. Tell me about your current role.My title is Business development and wine consultant at Boutique Wines, although it’s a bit of everything really! This year we are celebrating 21 years in business, and I came onboard 6 years ago. We are…

Q&A with Maggie Wine Adventure

Name: Maggie Domaradzka Company: Maggie Wine Adventure Maggie Wine Adventure is a project focusing on eno-tourism, and thus focusing on the exploration of new wines, new wine styles, and new grape varieties. This project is about wine and joy. I love travelling and I’ve been lucky to visit many wine-making countries and meet some of the producers in person.…

Q&A with Kate Dempsey of Kinsale Mead

Name: Kate Dempsey Occupation & Company: Founder Kinsale Mead Co. Tell me about your current role? We are a small family-run business so I have quite a few hats (I love hats!) – Making Mead: Mead is like a wine but made from honey with a similar fermentation and maturation process. There are a lot…

Q&A with Antonia Dominguez

Name: Antonia Dominguez Occupation & Company: Wine Specialist, Donnybrook Fair. Tell me about your current role? I joined premium retailer Donnybrook Fair eight months ago. The initial focus was to set up the wine department in our new Dundrum store. As a point of difference, I categorised the wines by style. I am currently working…

Q&A with Irem Eren

Name: Irem ErenOccupation & Company: Head of Business Development at BevZero Tell me about your current role? I work as Head of Business Development and Sales in BevZero, for the EMEA region. BevZero is specialized in beverage services, equipment, and innovative solutions, from no and low alcohol wines, and beers to cannabis-infused drinks.  I had…

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