11 July 2022

Guild of Beer Writers annual competition opens for entries

New awards launched with £17,500 prize fund

Journalists, writers, bloggers, broadcasters and photographers who communicate about beer or pubs are invited to enter the Guild of Beer Writers' annual awards before the deadline of 2 September. This year's competition offers entrants a choice of 16 categories - its highest-ever - and the chance to share in a £17,500 prize fund.

Two new awards are being launched, forBest Communication About Diversity in Beer, and for Best Communication about Cider, the latter following the Guild'sdecision to broaden its remit to support cider. At the same time, several categories have been reshaped to better reflect the waywriters and others communicate about beer and pubs.

All category winners, runners-up and the overall Beer Writer of the Year as well as Brewer of the Year, will be announced at the Guild's popular Awards Dinner, taking place on 23 November at One Great George Street in London.

All entries will be judged on how well they further the Guild's mission "toextend publicknowledge and appreciation of beer and pubs". Judging is carried out by a panel of writers, communicators and industry experts chaired byPete Brown, current Beer Writer of the Year.

Guild Chair Emma Inch said, "We are delighted to be running our annual awards with more categories than ever and a generous prize fund for our winners.

"Despite the challenges for our industry over the last couple of years, support for the competition has been unwavering, both from the brewers and others who sponsor the awards, and from the communicators who enter their work.  We'd urge anyone who communicates about beer, pubs or cider to look out their best writing, audio, video or other communication from the last 12 months and enter: the awards are open to all, and all have an equal chance of winning." 

She added: "In addition, we're thrilled to be returning to One Great George Street for our Awards presentation and dinner, which has become a ‘must attend' in the industry calendar, with bars provided by our sponsor brewers, wonderful food matched with beers, and the company of around 200 Guild members and industry friends."

This year's judging panel includes: Mitch Adams, Beer Sommelier and beer buyer at Euroboozer; Molly Davis, head of communications at the BII; Claire Dodd, travel and drinks writer; Matt Eley, communications consultant and former editor ofInapubmagazine; Fergus Fitzgerald, production director at Adnams; Kelly McCarthy CBII, licensee of the Old Sun Inn in Yorkshire; John Mitchinson, co-founder of crowfunding publishers Unbound; Ned Palmer, cheesemonger and author and Michelle Perrett, industry journalist and communications expert.

After initial judging, the Guild will publish a shortlist for all categories in November, and winners and runners up for each will be unveiled at the Awards Dinner. One category winner will go on to win the overall Beer Writer of the Year Award and the Guild also will also name its Brewer of the Year, sponsored by SIBA, based on votes cast by Guild members.

Tickets for the Awards Dinner, open to Guild members and industry friends, will go on sale on the Guild website later this year. 

Fulldetails of all categories, and advice on how to submit entries, can be found on theGuild's website.Entries must be received viaour dedicated entry websiteby the closing date of 2 September and work submitted must have been published between 1 September 2021 and 31 August 2022.

This year's categories

• Best Commissioned Beer Writing, sponsored by Greene King
• Best Beer Communicator, Regional Media, sponsored by Adnams                                      
• Best Book about Beer or Pubs, sponsored by HEINEKEN
• Best Audio Beer Communication, sponsored by Asahi UK
• Best Communication about No and Low Alcohol Beer, sponsored by Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I
• Best Communication about Sustainability in Beer and Pubs, sponsored by Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Company
• Best Communication about Beer and Travel, sponsored by VISITFLANDERS
• Best Communication about Pubs, sponsored by Shepherd Neame
• Best Newcomer to Beer Communication, sponsored by Fuller, Smith & Turner                                  
• Best Citizen Beer Communicator, sponsored by Krombacher
• NEW: Guild Award for Best Communication About Diversity in Beer
• NEW: Best Communication About Cider
• Best Beer Business Communication
• Best Self-Published Beer Writing
• Best Video Beer Communication
• Best Corporate Beer Communication

Caption to attached image: winners of the Guild of Beer Writers Awards 2021 including overall Beer Writer of the Year Pete Brown (centre)

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The Guild is grateful to the following sponsors, whose support makes possible our annual awards and dinner.

Adnams

Established in 1872, Adnams combines innovation with tradition. Behind the walls of its Victorian-looking building, it has some of the most advanced and energy-efficient brewing equipment in Europe and constantly experiments with new, innovative techniques. Adnams brews a range of quality beers which reflect its heritage but also challenge conventions. The brewer uses locally-grown East Anglian grains of malted barley, rye, wheat and oats wherever possible and deploys a number of different hop varieties from Britain as well as across the world - all of which contribute to their beers' individual characters. Adnams retains the values of an independent, family run business with a strong commitment to and leadership in sustainable business practice.

Asahi UK

Asahi UK is home to an exceptional portfolio of premium beer, ale and cider brands, including category leaders in the UK. The range includes international brands Peroni Nastro Azzurro, the No.1 Super Premium lager in the UK with every drop brewed in Italy; Japan's No.1 beer, Asahi Super Dry, encouraging consumers to discover the taste of Karakuchi; and the recently relaunched firm favourite for the UK, Grolsch. A portfolio to be envied which also includes local heroes: Fuller's London Pride, Meantime, Dark Star and Cornish Orchards. Asahi UK's focus is on elevating experiences for our customers and consumers through innovation, unrivalled service and offering brands with undeniable quality and provenance. Asahi UK believes that every business has a responsibility to understand and act upon its environmental impact and we continuously work towards sharing more information with our suppliers, customers and consumers about both the footprint of our beers, and how we are working to reduce it. Our place in the local community is highly valued and we strive to ensure that we are always making a positive contribution to the communities in and around our UK Breweries. For more information on Asahi UK and parent organisation, Asahi Europe International visitwww.asahibeer.co.uk.

Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I

Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I is a proud part of AB InBev, the global brewing company which began life more than 600 years ago in a small brewery in Leuven, Belgium. We are passionate about brewing great beers and are here to champion Britain's iconic beer culture, from barley farmers to pubs and retail. As a company, we dream big to create a future with more cheers. We are always looking to serve up new ways to meet life's moments, move our industry forward and make a meaningful impact in the world. 

Here in the UK and Ireland, our beer is brewed with 100% natural ingredients, using only British barley from local farmers, at our breweries in South Wales and Lancashire. From the farms where barley for our beer is grown, through to brewing, and all the way to the pubs and shops where our drinks are sold, we are committed to making and delivering the most loved drinks portfolio in a way that protects our planet and the people in it.

We support pubs and beer-lovers in the UK and Ireland, as we continue to build and support long-lasting relationships with our pub partners and others across the hospitality sector. We also recognise the inherent social role that responsible beer production and smart drinking can play in society and are committed to fostering a culture of smart drinking in the UK through our Global smart drinking goals as we continue to expand our portfolio of no and low alcohol beers.

Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I is committed to building great brands that stand the test of time and to brewing the best beers using the finest ingredients. Our diverse portfolio of well over 500 beer brands includes global brands Budweiser, Bud Light, Stella Artois and Corona; international heroes like Beck's, Leffe and Hoegaarden, our local champions Bass and Boddington's and craft superstar Camden.

In the UK, Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I employs 1,400 people in our three breweries in Magor, South Wales, Samlesbury, Lancashire and Enfield, North London and in our local headquarters in Central London, all united by our passion for brewing the best beer. We're building a company and supporting communities to last, which means we grow in a sustainable and responsible way that benefits us and all our communities.

Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Company

Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Company (CMBC) is a joint venture between Carlsberg UK and Marston's PLC, combining over 300 years of shared values, history and heritage in UK brewing. CMBC offers customers an enviable portfolio of lagers, ales and craft beer brands from the best of two master brewing teams, plus beers under license from valued partners. These include lagers such as Carlsberg Danish Pilsner, Carlsberg Expørt and Poretti; premium cask and packaged ales, including Hobgoblin, Marston's Pedigree, Tetley's, Wainwright and 61 Deep; brands under license including San Miguel, Estrella Damm, Shipyard, Erdinger, Warsteiner and Kirin; a broad selection of alcohol-free beers; plus distribution of the Brooklyn Brewery and London Fields Brewery craft portfolios.

Our founders were driven by an ambition to brew for a better today and tomorrow. Over 170 years later, we continue to pursue the same purpose. We want to contribute to a better society wherever our beers are brewed and sold, and that includes taking a lead on sustainability. It is central to our purpose, and we also believe it's the right thing to do - bringing clear benefits to our business and to society as a whole.

Fuller, Smith & Turner PLC

Fuller, Smith & Turner PLC is the premium pubs and hotels business that is famous for beautiful and inviting pubs with delicious fresh food, a vibrant and interesting range of drinks, and engaging service from passionate people. Fuller's has 208 managed businesses, with 1,030 boutique bedrooms, and 178 Tenanted Inns. The estate is predominately located in the South of England (44% of sites are within the M25) and stretches from our London heartland to the Jurassic Coast via the New Forest. Our Managed Pubs and Hotels include 16 iconic Ale & Pie pubs, seven stunning hotels in the Cotswolds, and Bel & The Dragon - eight exquisite country inns located in the Home Counties. In summary, Fuller's is the home of great pubs, outstanding hospitality and passionate people, where everyone is welcome and leaves that little bit happier than they arrived.

Greene King

Brewing in Bury St Edmunds, the home of Greene King, dates back 1000 years to day of the Doomsday book and in 2019 our two historic breweries, Westgate in Bury St Edmunds and Belhaven in Dunbar celebrated a combined brewing heritage of 520 years. With a diverse range in our beer portfolio, from pale ales to craft beers and from bitters to stout one thing is for sure, our passion for brewing top quality, delicious beer is as strong today as all those years ago. We are proud to be a sponsor of the Guild of Beer Writers Awards, a wonderful celebration of our national passion for great quality British beer, the writers who challenge the brewers and the brewing industry who continue to drive innovation in beer.

HEINEKEN UK

With over 2,000 passionate people, some of the nation's most loved beers and ciders, 2,500 pubs, thousands of acres of orchards and three UK breweries, there's more to HEINEKEN than the name above the door. Our portfolio of brands includes Heineken®, Brixton, Lagunitas, Birra Moretti and Red Stripe, backed by a full range of niche and speciality brands. We are also proud to work in partnership with Beavertown Brewery.

As long term supporters of the British Guild of Beer Writers, we truly believe in the power of storytelling - whether that be through the written word, a podcast, or a photograph. And we are proud to be sponsoring once again.

Krombacher

Krombacher is Germany'sGermany's largest brewery in family ownership. Ever since 1803 our beer has been exclusively brewed in the picturesque village of Krombach, strictly according to the German Purity Law of 1516.

A Krombacher Pils has just four wholesome and natural ingredients: Felsquellwassser, the pure spring water from the Rothaar mountain range; two-row summer barley; Siegel hops and Krombacher's own specially cultivated yeast. All of our brewing processes are natural. No chemical or artificial substances are introduced into the beer at any stage. We use the latest technology to ensure consistently high quality, and employ efficient, low-energy production techniques that respect the well-being of humankind and nature. No wonder that Krombacher Pils is enjoyed more often than any other premium Pilsner beer in Germany. But at the end of the day we rely on the artistry, experience and passion of our Master Brewers. 

Krombacher brews a portfolio of premium beers, including Pils, Hell, Dark, Weizen, Unfiltered, Pils 0.0% and Weizen Non-Alcoholic.

Shepherd Neame

Britain's oldest brewer Shepherd Neame has been based in the market town of Faversham, Kent for over 300 years. Perhaps best known for great British classic ales such as Spitfire, which carries the Royal Warrant, its diverse portfolio includes Five Grain Lager, Bear Island East Coast Pale Ale and Bear Island Triple Hopped Lager, and the Whitstable Bay Collection. It also brews international lagers under licence including Samuel Adams Boston Lager and premium Thai lager Singha. The independent family business boasts an award-winning visitor centre and more than 300 pubs and hotels throughout London and the South East, from the historic heart of the City to the Kent coastline.

SIBA

SIBA represent around 750 independent craft brewers across the UK and are the voice of British independent brewing. With their ‘Assured Independent British Craft Brewer' seal, SIBA champion quality, flavoursome beers from independent craft brewers, as well as protecting the businesses of thousands of breweries across the UK through Government lobbying and campaigning in Parliament. 

VISITFLANDERS

VISITFLANDERS represents the Dutch-speaking, northern region of Belgium, a country that has been synonymous with amazing beer for decades. Famous for our extensive range of beer styles, the region boasts a brewing heritage dating back to the 12^thCentury. Attracting beer lovers from all over the world, Flanders is also home to an enviable array of great beer venues, from cosy bars and traditional ‘brown' cafés, to brewery taps and festivals held in stunning heritage locations; no wonder that our rich brewing and beer traditions make Belgium the only country where beer culture is officially recognised as part of UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage listing.

The British Guild of Beer Writers was formed in 1988 to help spread the word about beers, brewing and pubs. With close to 300 individual members and 60+ corporate members, its mission is "to improve the standards of beer writing and improve the public knowledge of beer and pubs."  Its members include the cream of the country's beer communicators - be they journalists, authors, bloggers, producers, photographers, broadcasters, illustrators or PR consultants. Corporate members of the Guild include brewers, brand owners, distributors, pub companies, and many suppliers associated with the brewing trade.www.beerguild.co.uk