This month, we sat down with some of the past and current female staff at Canada Malting Company to chat about how they found themselves working in the malting & beer industry and what they love about their job.
The women consist of Taylor Stigings (Elevator Coordinator), Camille Allonneau (Canadian Prairies Sales Manager) & Lori Reams (Production Supervisor & currently working at Barrett Burston Malting’s Geelong site), all women playing a vital role in the malting process to get Canada Malting’s premium malt into the brewery both in Canada but also in the Antipodes. They also discuss the different pathways available for those who are keen to start a career in the malting industry.
Camille Allonneau (Prairies Sales Manager)
Hailing from the bakery industry in France, Camille has been working as a Territory manager at Country Malt Group for a year and a half. She looks after customers in the Canadian Prairies (Alberta, Saskatchewan & Manitoba) and is based at the Canada Malting Company malthouse in Calgary, AB.
What inspired you to begin a career in the malting / brewing industry?
Camille: I have always enjoyed drinking craft beer and used to spend all my Saturday evenings at a nice brewpub in my hometown Chartres, in France. I was working in the bakery industry at the time, and already selling malts to bakers -transitioning from bakery to brewing seemed like a natural step!
What do you love about your job?
Camille: To me, meeting new people and discussing with a variety of persons is the best part of working in Sales. It’s a great opportunity to exchange experiences and tips and to broaden your horizons. Travelling in the Canadian Prairies to visit breweries is also an amazing experience.
What are the pathways you can take to start working in the malting industry? Are there any courses or educational opportunities that you can suggest for inspiring brewers or maltsters?
Camille: This year I took the Foundations in Brewing & Packaging online course at the Institute of Brewing & Distilling: I found it super useful to go through brewing basics and it does contain a whole section on the basic principles of malting. If you’re looking to develop your knowledge of both brewing and malting, I highly recommend this course.
What advice would you offer for women who wish to start a career in the malting or beer industry?
Camille: I would advise women to search for other women brewers/maltsters/cicerone around them and to turn to women professional organizations -such as the Pink Boots- to get professional support. The brewing industry is a tight community, but support between women inside this industry is even stronger! I would also recommend not to be too intimidated by the almost all-men environment in breweries and malthouses: I’ve never felt left behind during my career -even surrounded by men-and I’ve always found everyone helpful in answering my questions and giving advice.
How do you think that the beer industry has changed in the past 10 years to encourage more females to get involved?
Camille: I haven’t been in the industry for long, but my feeling is that women are getting more and more involved and educated on beer and are now taking power by themselves. I’ve several examples of women head brewers here in Calgary, as well as ladies launching their beer brand and/or studying to become Master Cicerone. There is a place for women in the brewing industry, we just have to dare take it!
What’s your favourite malt at CMC?
Camille: My favourite one is the CMC Pilsen malt because it’s extremely clean in both flavour and aroma: it makes a perfect base and backbone for a wide array of beers (IPAs, lagers…) with a more complex taste than regular 2-Row.
What’s your favourite beer style at the moment?
Camille: Wintertime in the Prairies means switching back to darker and stronger beers! I enjoy warming up after hiking in the snow with a Baltic porter or a Triple ale.
Lori Reams (Production Supervisor)
Currently working at Barrett Burston Malting’s Geelong site as a Production Manager, Lori started with Canada Malting Company in March 2015 as part of the Maltster Trainee program for 6 months. She then came back to work for CMC in 2017 as a Production Supervisor at the Calgary plant for 18 months. As a production supervisor, she looked after the day to day production of base and specialty malts.
What inspired you to begin a career in the malting / brewing industry?
Lori: I basically stumbled upon malting back in 2013 when I became a lab technician for Great Western Malting in Vancouver Washington. Once I started working in malting, I was inspired by the passion of the people within the industry. I’ve met many passionate brewers and maltsters from all over the world during my time in malting.
What do you love about your job?
Lori: I really enjoy the challenge of working in malt production. Unlike a lot of production environments, there isn’t a set recipe for making malt. Each day there are changing conditions that require tweaks to the process, it’s never boring!
What are the pathways you can take to start working in the malting industry? Are there any courses or educational opportunities that you can suggest for inspiring brewers or maltsters?
Lori: There really isn’t a malting program available for university students. The best path would be through a brewing program. There are some certifications available through the MAGB and I would also suggest the MBAA Brewing and Malting Science Course. I made many valuable contacts in the industry attending this course.
What advice would you offer for women who wish to start a career in the malting or beer industry?
Lori: The malting industry has a long way to go for women in production. Take advantage of your resources within Pink Boots!
How do you think that the beer industry has changed in the past 10 years to encourage more females to get involved?
Lori: I have been encouraged to get involved with other women within the industry through Pink Boots.
What’s your favourite malt at CMC?
Lori: Munich Malt! It tastes so good fresh out of the kiln.
What’s your favourite beer style at the moment?
Lori: I always go for an XPA on a hot day.
Taylor Stigings (Elevator Coordinator)
Taylor has been working with Canada Malting since January 2017. Her role in the company is Elevator Coordinator, as well as completing the admin work for the two Niobe Elevators and the go-to for all other admin within the company if they run into any issues. She also still works on the family farm and grows premium barley!
What do you love about your job?
Taylor: The people within the company are great and makes coming to work so enjoyable. The friendships I have with all the producers at the Niobe Elevator, along with the projects and discussions I have got to be involved in with the company.
What are the best growing regions in Canada? What is it about Canadian barley growing regions which makes them so well-suited to barley growing?
Taylor: The best growing regions in Canada would have to be the prairie provinces specifically Central Alberta. I think what makes these regions so well-suited for barley growing in the soil and weather conditions we see throughout the summers and fall.
How do you feel CMC supports local Canadian barley growers?
Taylor: CMC supports the local barley growers by offering yearly production contracts to them first. CMC is also very good about trying to take any overage the producers may have of barley grown in the year. In times before COVID, each elevator hosted a yearly producer appreciation BBQ.
What inspired you to begin a career in the malting industry (on the grain side)?
Taylor: I grew up and still live on the family farm and have bought into it. Before joining CMC, I was working at an accountant handling all the agriculture clients and when my current job came up I jumped at the chance for the change. I HAVE to say it’s been the best thing for my career in Agriculture.
What are the pathways you can take to start working in the malting or agricultural industry? What advice would you offer to young women who want to start a career in malting or agriculture?
Taylor: The pathways you can take to start working in the Agriculture industry is attending Agriculture schools, knowing people within the Agriculture industry and just apply for anything you see and work your way up.
The advice I would give is to talk to people within the Agriculture industry in fields you are interested in, and you may have to start at the bottom but the experience you will gain will help you as you move to different positions and the Agriculture industry is ever-changing so there will be ample opportunities come your way.
What’s your favourite beer style at the moment?
Taylor: I’m partial to the occasional Wheat Beer!
If you’re keen to further support female education and opportunities in the brewing industry, make sure to place a pre-order for the 4th Annual Pink Boots Blend. $6 from every kilogram sold will be donated to the local Pink Boots Society chapter, to support women’s education and training in the brewing industry. You can place a pre-order through your local Sales Manager. Learn more about the Pink Boots Blend here.
