CityLife

Vanilla's so sweet

STEPH Kay is in buoyant mood. As one of the lesbian community's movers and shakers, she's got every reason to be happy. Her bar, Vanilla, is on the eve of celebrating its fifth birthday with a party blow-out that's as much a testament to Manchester's lesbian community as Steph's business acumen.

"I can still remember telling DJ Sara Furey about this new lesbian bar that was opening soon," remembers Steph. "And I asked her whether she thought it would be able to survive as a seven-day-week operation. And she said, `No'!

"I said, `Well, you'd better bloody get used to it, as you're going to be the main DJ. It's called Vanilla and it's my new baby!' We still laugh about it now."

Over its five years, Vanilla has become more than a meeting place for Manchester lesbians. In fact, it's become something of a beacon of support for the local community.

"Vanilla continues to play a vital role in the village," says Steph. "Especially for young women who are questioning their sexuality. It's a safe drinking den and we work hard to protect that.

"And yes, we have created a place which is, at times, almost like a community centre. A place that you can lean on when you need it. A place where you can wander in on your own or meet friends to party."

Rosy

Although Vanilla is now an undeniable success, things didn't look quite so rosy at the start.

"None of the high street banks could get their head around the concept of a lesbian bar," remembers Steph. "It was pure luck that we managed to cut a deal with Colin Rigby (a director of Cruz 101), who's the landlord.

"It's been extremely hard work," she continues, "but I never had a doubt that I wasn't going to be successful with this."

Although Steph is very much the high profile spokeswoman for many women in the village, she puts the success of the bar as much down to her team as her own business skills.

"I think it's safe to say that most independent businesses take about four or five years to become a success," says Steph. "My team is amazing. In fact, we must be one of the few bars in the village who have had the same management team since the beginning.

Negative

"We take it for granted how good this city is for gay and lesbian people," she says. "But you only have to head out of the city to be in the back of beyond. Sometimes the negative image about what we've got in this city annoys me.

"The last 12 months has seen Essential voted the best UK club and Taurus the best bar in Manchester. Cruz 101 was named one the safest venues in Manchester and with Europride we raised £125,000 for HIV-related charities in four days. I think our Village is great, prosperous and collectively the most diverse gay space in Europe."

"Vanilla's mission has been to change the face of lesbian lifestyle and clubbing in Manchester," she adds. "To bring it into line with what gay men enjoy. And I think we've more than achieved that goal."

Vanilla celebrates its fifth birthday on Thursday, December 11 with guest DJ Nicksy from Galaxy 102. Steph's infamous speech will be at midnight.