I’ve recently joined the British Guild of Beer Writers with the intention of improving my writing. Don’t worry, I’m not going to start talking about sparging or any of that nonsense, there are enough beer writers talking about the technical side of beer, but I rather hope this blog will start to head in a more topical direction albeit in its usual don’t-take-yourself-too-seriously style.
Anyway, the reason I mention this is because the Guild’s shortlist for their annual awards has been announced, and there are some great beer writers on there (I’ll make sure to link them all in the shortlist below; it’ll take a while, but you’re worth it). There’s also quite a good mix, from well established names to newcomers and communicating in a variety of mediums. I think this year women are a little under represented, but the women that are there are top notch so do check them out.
There’s A Beer For That Award for Best Beer Broadcaster
- Lucy Stevenson & Louise Mulroy: We Made A Beer podcasts
- BBC Radio Four: The Food Programme
- Matt Curtis: Good Beer Hunting podcasts
Badger Ales Award for Best Young Beer Writer
- Jacopo Mazzeo: posts on Beer without Frontiers blog
- Jordon Lee Smith: posts on Frontier Hoptometrist blog, and other websites
- Joshua Farrington: posts on Beer And Present Danger blog
St Austell Brewery Award for Best Beer and Travel Writer
- John Holl: work in All About Beer magazine
- Pete Brown: The Pub book
- Mark Dredge: The Best Beer in the World book
Guild Award for Best Beer Writer – Corporate Communications
- Beer Hawk: Hoptical magazine
- Beer Merchants: magazine
- Carlsberg UK: Tapsters Cask Ale Guide/Crafted from Carlsberg
Shepherd Neame Classic Collection Award for Best Beer and Food Writer
- Mark Dredge: Cooking with Beer book
- Susan & Judith Boyle: articles in Leinster Leader
- Adrian Tierney-Jones: articles in Daily Telegraph
Caledonian Brewery Award for Best Beer Communicator – Online
- Boak and Bailey: boakandbailey
- Pete Brown: petebrownblogspot
- Matt Curtis: total ales/good beer hunting
- Will Hawkes: Craft Beer London
- Jonny Garrett: Craft Beer Channel
Fuller’s 1845 Award for Best Beer Writer – Trade Media
- Roger Protz: articles in Morning Advertiser
- Jonny Garrett: articles in Brewers Journal
- Pete Brown: articles in Morning Advertiser
- Adrian Tierney-Jones: various press articles
- Nigel Huddleston: Off Licence News
Adnams Award for Best Beer Writer – Regional Media
- Alastair Gilmour: Cheers magazine
- Simon Jenkins: The Great Leeds Pub Crawl book
- Mark Briggs: articles in Lancashire Telegraph
- Susan & Judith Boyle: articles in Leinster Leader
- Gavin Aitchison: articles in The Press, York
Molson Coors Award for Best Beer Writer – National Media
- Adrian Tierney-Jones: London’s Local Pubs book
- Sophie Atherton: various press articles
- Jane Peyton: various press/radio work
- Mark Dredge: Best Beer in the World and Cooking with Beer books
- Pete Brown: The Pub: book
There can only be one winner in each category, but all the nominees have made great contributions to the world of beer writing and in sharing their knowledge of beer with the world. Congratulations, beeros!
The Awards dinner, held at the Park Lane Hotel on Piccadilly, is open to non-Guild members. For more information, visit the site here.
The Crafty Beeress 