Kelly Bishop

“My biggest challenge has always been a lack of confidence. I can’t say I have fully overcome this, but being surrounded by supportive people certainly helps. My inner critic is loud, so while I value constructive criticism, I criticise myself enough. I feel lucky to have brilliant people in my life who celebrate each other’s wins and are generous with their advice and encouragement. Another way I have tackled my self-doubt is by working hard to learn and develop my skills. However, I think women in particular can become obsessed with this, in a world where we feel we have to prove ourselves that bit more to be taken seriously, so I try to be mindful of that too.”

“I think it is happening more and more, and it comes mostly from other women. I love that there’s currently so much emphasis on women supporting women. That’s one of the reasons I co-founded Northern Women In Wine, where we share advice, opportunities, and meet to taste. It started as three friends: me, Anna Tutton (owner of The Beeswing wine bar in Manchester) and Amy Suddards (ex-Cork of the North). We kept meeting at trade tastings and agreed that a lot of tasting groups are a bit of a sausage party, to say the least, so we decided to make ours for women. At first, it was just Manchester, then people joined from other northern cities. Anyone can join and add people. There are over 60 members now. I see women lifting each other up in that group every week. There are plenty of blokes who champion women too. I’ve been employed and encouraged by Simon Woods at Manchester Wine School for several years. Other men have been vocal in singing my praises and pushing me forward for opportunities I might not have had the guts to go for myself.”

“One of my favourite things to drink at the moment is still Blanc de Noirs. I’ve seen them popping up everywhere: English white wines made with Pinot Noir, Italian white Sangiovese, and recently, on a trip to Athens, a white Xinomavro made from an excess of grapes that were otherwise going to be binned but were saved by a young female somm at a wine-led restaurant. I love them because they are different, but I also enjoy the character black grapes seem to bring to white wines.”

“One of the things I love the most about working in wine is the endless opportunity for professional development. I’ve been to loads of educational MW masterclasses, but my absolute favourites always seem to be those hosted by Sarah Abbott MW. Recently, I was lucky enough to spend some time on a trip to Conegliano Valdobbiadene with Sarah. Sarah’s approach is refreshing, engaging and always peppered with an arch, dry humour. The more humour we have in the world of wine – and especially wine education, the better.  Sarah has been a shining example for me of someone whose knowledge is astonishing while her delivery is humble, down-to-earth and super relatable. An inspiration.”