Lidl Launches Scotland’s First Gender-Balanced Beer Aisle

Lidl is raising a glass to equality this summer, launching Scotland’s first-ever gender-balanced beer aisle. From Thursday 28th August, the retailer will give equal shelf space to beers brewed by women and female-owned breweries across all 112 Lidl stores in Scotland.

The move shines a spotlight on Scotland’s pioneering female brewers and honours the history of beer-making – once considered “women’s work” in households across the country before becoming commercialised and dominated by men.

Craft with a Cause

As part of the initiative, 50p from every female-brewed beer sold in Lidl’s Scottish Favourites line-up will fund the Lidl Scholarship at Heriot-Watt University’s International Centre of Brewing and Distilling. The scholarship will support a woman brewer to qualify at a commercial level – paving the way for the next generation of female leaders in brewing.

Mara Bäcker Scott, Senior Buying Manager of Beer at Lidl GB, said:

“Women have been an integral part of beer-making for centuries, and today they bring extraordinary skill, creativity and quality to every stage of the process. To be able to showcase that talent on our shelves, and know that every sale will help create the first-ever Lidl Scholarship for a future female brewer, is a moment we’re thrilled to share with Lidl customers.”

Scotland’s Female Brewers on the Shelf

From light radlers to bold stouts, the line-up highlights the breadth of creativity women are bringing to Scottish brewing. Standouts include:

  • 71 Brewing’s Peachy Radler (3% ABV, £1.59)

  • Fierce’s Fancy Juice IPA (5% ABV, £1.89)

  • Loch Lomond’s Big Mango Sour, Orange & Passionfruit (8% ABV, £2.29)

  • Innis & Gunn’s Tequila Cask Blonde (5.1% ABV, £1.59)

Other names leading the charge include Glasgow’s WEST, Edinburgh’s Stewart Brewing, Dundee’s 71 Brewing, Aberdeen’s Fierce, the Highlands’ Loch Lomond Brewing, and Innis & Gunn.

A Striking ‘Pourtrait’

To celebrate the launch, Lidl commissioned a striking ‘pourtrait’ – a unique photograph bringing together six of Scotland’s leading women brewers. The image marks a powerful moment in the country’s brewing story: one that celebrates leadership, creativity and the future of equality in beer.

Foodhood mag