You are looking to run your next Inclusivity in Wine course in February - what does that entail?
Our next Inclusivity in Wine course comprises a WSET Level 2 course free of charge, with 12 places available for people who work in the hospitality trade and come from a diverse background. Held over three Mondays starting from February 3, this course will give successful applicants the opportunity to immerse themselves in the WSET Level 2 course right through to the final exam, with access to WSET resources, and a range of wines to taste through.
Why are you looking to run this programme?
Hallgarten & Novum Wines is going to run its third Inclusivity in Wine course in February
Our aim is to improve equity, diversity and inclusivity within the wine trade, by providing the opportunity to develop individuals who may not otherwise have access to such courses and qualifications. We aim to remove barriers to entry for people who may not have had access to formal education.
How do you define “inclusivity”?
Inclusivity means providing equal access and opportunities to individuals regardless of their background. This means promoting diversity in all aspects of our industry and creating opportunities for those from marginalised backgrounds who may not have had the same opportunities.
It is also more than just ticking boxes, it aims to foster new talent and embrace the diversity of our industry.
What sort of backgrounds of people have been on previous courses?
We have had people from a variety of backgrounds including different ethnicities, LGBTQ+, neurodivergences, and socioeconomic backgrounds for whom this opportunity may not otherwise have been a possibility.
Why are you focusing on the hospitality sector for these courses?
Hallgarten sees its 'Inclusivity' training course as also an opportunity for people from different backgrounds working in hospitality to come together through their shared interest in wine
The UK’s hospitality sector is very diverse, but few see an opportunity to pursue a career in wine or may feel they are overlooked, whether in hospitality or transitioning into the wine industry itself. We aim to encourage and inspire as broad a cross-section as possible to have the opportunity to engage in formal wine education, enhance their wine knowledge and, potentially, to consider seeking a career in the wine industry.
Do they need to be Hallgarten or Coterie customers?
There is no prerequisite to be an existing Hallgarten customer, and we welcome applicants from different areas of the hospitality and the wine industry beyond our existing customer base.
To be able to pass the exam successfully we ask that applicants have a passion and/or interest in wine, a basic level of knowledge of wine, and a competent level of written and spoken English.
How does the course run - is it the standard WSET course or has it been adapted to suit your specific needs?
The course takes place over a three week period with students required to attend in person
This will be run according to WSET Level 2 guidelines. Our wine education team are certified WSET educators which allows them to provide the highest levels of service and education to our customers.
It is run over three weeks. Do you need to attend in person for those three weeks?
Yes – each of these classes is delivered in person and there will be a final exam at the last session on February 17. While we do offer some remote training for other courses for our customers, this is an opportunity to meet other like-minded, wine-passionate peers and to create industry connections.
This is the third course you have delivered in the past 18 months - what changes and learnings have you made in this time?
Curious Vines' Queena Wong, far left, is one of a number of diversity organisations that Hallgarten is working with as part of its "Inclusivity" programme
We have held the courses at different locations to encourage new pools of talent from across the industry to apply. We have made adaptations to our application process to make it more inclusive, and have been able to broaden our reach of potential applicants through the connections we have made in this time.
We use our informal partnerships with The Drinks Trust, Be Inclusive Hospitality, Curious Vines and Equal Measures to help drive awareness of the opportunity, and have also learnt that we need to be proactive in course registrations to help accommodate additional needs candidates may have, for neurodivergence, for example.
What is the recruitment and application process?
Applicants must fill in the registration form by December 16 which is designed to assess applicants' existing knowledge with a multiple choice questionnaire with questions taken from the Level 1 course syllabus. They must also provide a reason that they should be considered for this course, and outline their previous experience of working with wine and/or in hospitality.
Once this has been completed, applicants will send it to our ED&I team, who will follow up with a quick Teams call to discuss their applications and answer any questions candidates may have.
You are also running these courses in different locations?
In June of this year we ran a course in Manchester, and our next course, in February 2025 will be held at Wembley Stadium in London. We are considering running another course in Scotland later in the year, and aim to continue focusing on different cities and locations around the UK in the future, with the aim of opening up the opportunity to new pools of potential candidates and talented individuals.
This is part of Hallgarten’s wider ED&I strategy - what other steps are you taking as a business to improve your ED&I levels?
Hallgarten has set up its own ED&I division within the business to help create a new culture around diversity in the business
We introduced our ED&I project team in early 2022, when we had a brainstorming session exploring potential actions we could take, starting with internal changes to policies such as maternity and paternity pay, examining our office building to ensure it’s fully accessible, introducing training to the wider team, and making changes to our recruitment practices.
Over time we have grown our network and work in partnership with people such as Lorraine Copes of Be Inclusive Hospitality, Queena Wong of Curious Vines, The Drink Trust and Equal Measures to name just a few.
We are on the advisory council of Drinks United, the new body developed to improve ED&I in the wider wine trade, and have also carried out a number of our own initiatives such as panel events, educational trips and other training for people who may not otherwise have access to such opportunities.
We are constantly looking for new initiatives and opportunities to reach as many people across the industry as possible.
What learnings have you made running ED&I initiatives that you would like to share with other businesses?
It’s about knowing where to start. It can be a very daunting process, as we realised in early 2022, as ED&I is so far reaching and is never ‘finished’. But by starting off with small changes internally, and introducing the conversation with the wider team/s, it slowly started to take shape.
We learnt early on that this isn’t going to be an easy fix, but by taking small steps and implementing minor changes, over time this will snowball into bigger, more measurable changes. We wanted to take dramatic measures quite quickly, but learnt that by taking things more slowly we will have more people on board alongside us.
It’s about a culture shift as much as anything, and it may take a long time before we see real change in the industry, but just by being active and keeping the conversation going, we are already starting to see some change, particularly internally where people have much more appreciation and awareness of ED&I.
What particular successes and differences have you made that you can share?
Hallgarten's ED&I division has been able to organise a range of events for the trade including this trip to Greece
The inaugural 2023 Inclusivity in Wine course saw a vast number of applications, with 100% of participants successfully achieving their WSET Level 2 certificate.
In 2024, the course took place at Exhibition MCR, a thriving bar in Manchester. The new location allowed a new pool of applicants to benefit from the opportunity, following the course’s inaugural year, in London, in 2023.
The exciting hospitality scene in Manchester is an inspiring environment for members of the trade to develop their skills and careers in the sector.
Have you brought in outside expertise to help you design and run your ED&I initiatives - if so how has that worked?
All of our work opened up opportunities for us and our customers, and allowed us to reach a wider audience. We have run courses, trips, training and initiatives with individual consultants, groups, and more, such as Emma Hodges, Curious Vines, Be Inclusive Hospitality, Equal Measures, and are involved in the new Drinks United initiative.
This has included collaborating on a report on ED&I with Curious Vines and Queena Wong, inclusion and accessibility training at our head office with Emma Hodges, and more.
* You can find out more about Hallgarten's Inclusivity in Wine course here. The closing date for entries is December 16. Download an appllication form here.
* Hallgarten & Novum Wines is a commercial partner to The Buyer. Click here to find out more about the services it offers.
