Harrogate Beer Week founder wins national accolade in British Guild of Beer Writers Awards

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Rachel Auty said she was thrilled to receive the national accolade at at the British Guild of Beer Writers’ annual awards ceremony in Westminster with some of the biggest names in UK beer and brewing.

Although describing herself as "not a traditional beer writer", Rachel was delighted to receive the award for her incredible work with Harrogate craft brewery Roosters on their livestreams, her ground-breaking success with Women On Tap events in Harrogate, and her weekly Beer Show on Harrogate Community radio.

Pete Brown, meanwhile, was named the Beer Writer of the Year 2021, the fourth time he has won the award, following triumphs in 2016, 2012 and 2009.

September saw the talented and versatile Brown appear in person at Harrogate Beer Week.

Emma Inch, Chair of the Guild and of this year’s Awards judging, said: “Pete Btown is a worthy Beer Writer of the Year. He has a talent for finding interesting nuggets in whatever he’s writing about, and turning them into stories that don’t just appeal to beer geeks, but pull in a wider audience.

"His work is always meticulously researched, but also accessible and great fun to read.

“The standard of entries across all categories was, as ever, extremely high and judges had a tough task choosing the winners and runners up.

"We were impressed by the levels of knowledge, energy and passion that shone through the works submitted by our finalists, whether they had written a column, published a book or produced a film."

Inch was joined on the judging panel by: Keith Bott, MD of Titanic Brewery; Sarah Bridge, founder of the A Lady of Leisure travel website and former Mail on Sunday correspondent; Joanna Copestick, publisher at Kyle Books; Matt Eley, communications consultant and former editor of Inapub magazine; Paul Hegarty, Secretary of the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group; Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer & Pub Association; Ned Palmer, cheesemonger and author; Valentine Warner, chef, writer and broadcaster and Georgina Young, brewing director at St Austell Brewery.

The Brewer of the Year title, sponsored by SIBA, was presented to John Hatch of Ram Brewery, who gathered the highest number of votes in a poll of Guild members.

The winners were announced at the Guild’s annual dinner held at One Great George Street in Westminster.

Each dish was served with a specially selected beer:

Ten Degrees Czechia Session Lager from Utopian Brewing; Wolf Dark Scottish Ale from Windswept Brewing Co; Roots Rock Reggae IPA from Roosters Brewing Co in Harrogate and Waiting for the Rain Imperial Stout from Loch Lomond.

Awards in full

SIBA Award for Brewer of the Year

John Hatch, Ram Brewery

Guild Award for Best Beer Writer, Corporate Communications

Winner: CAMRA’s Learn & Discover programme: Alex Metcalfe

Commended: Fifty Years of CAMRA book: Laura Hadland

Harvey’s Tom Paine Award for Best Citizen Beer Communicator

Winner: Gabriele Bertucci for Turning the Tide podcasts

Silver Award: Chris Hodgson for CraftBeerChris blogs

Shepherd Neame Award for Best Writing about Pubs

Winner: Pete Brown for press and online articles

Silver Award: Adrian Tierney-Jones, for articles in The Daily Telegraph

VISITFLANDERS Award for Best Beer & Travel Writer

Winner: Will Hawkes, for articles in The Washington Post, and others

Silver Award: Breandán Kearney, for articles in National Geographic, Good Beer Hunting, and others

Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company Award for Best Writing about Sustainability in Beer and Pubs

Winner: Hollie Stephens, for writing about carbon capture

Silver Award: Tim O’Rourke, for work on carbon footprint

Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I Award for Best Writing about No and Low Alcohol Beers

Winner: Will Hawkes, for writing in Good Beer Hunting

Silver Award: Jonny Garrett, for work in Ferment and on YouTube

Asahi Award for Best Beer Broadcaster

Winner: Jonny Garret for Craft Beer Channel and The Bubble

Silver Award: Natalya Watson for Beer With Nat

Fuller Smith & Turner Award for Best Young Beer Writer

Winner: Ashley Joanna for articles in Belgian Smaak

Silver Award: Matthew Rogers for CAMRAngle magazine

Award for Best Book about Beer or Pubs

Winner: Pete Brown, Beer By Design

Highly Commended: James Morton, From Scratch: Brew

Allsopp’s Award for Best Beer Writer, Trade Media

Winner: Hollie Stephens, for articles in Brewer & Distiller International

Silver Award: Adrian Tierney-Jones for articles in Imbibe and Brewing & Beverages Industries Business

Heineken Award for Best Beer Communicator, Online

Winner: Pete Brown for posts on www.petebrown.net

Silver Award: David Jesudason for posts on Pellicle

Highly Commended: Mark Dredge for posts on Good Beer Hunting

Adnams Award for Best Beer Writer, Regional Media

Winner: Breandán Kearney for articles on Belgian Smaak

Silver Award: Rachel Auty for regional broadcasts including Harrogate Community Radio

Greene King Award for Best Beer Writer, National Media

Winner: Will Hawkes, for writing in the Washington Post and Beer

Silver Award: Adrian Tierney-Jones for writing in the Daily Star, and others

Highly Commended: Ruvani de Silva, for writing in Good Beer Hunting, and others

The Michael Jackson Gold Award for Beer Writer of the Year 2021: Pete Brown

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