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7th September 2020

Carlsberg UK adds sustainability category to Guild of Beer Writers Awards

at the presentation of the Carlsberg Sustainability Award 2019 (l-r): Silver Award winner Matthew Curtis; Carlsberg UK Head of Corporate Affairs, Andrew Roache and Gold Award winner Will Hawkes
at the presentation of the Carlsberg Sustainability Award 2019 (l-r): Silver Award winner Matthew Curtis; Carlsberg UK Head of Corporate Affairs, Andrew Roache and Gold Award winner Will Hawkes

Carlsberg UK is adding a category to the recently-launched British Guild of Beer Writers Annual Awards. The Award for Best Writing on Sustainability in Beer and Pubs will reward the best writing or other communication about sustainability in the beer and pubs sector.

The Award, which ran for the first time last year, takes the total number of categories this year to nine. The competition is open to entries until 30 September and includes a new ‘Best Beer and Pub Communications during Lockdown’ category. Submissions to the Sustainability category can be press articles in trade or consumer-facing publications, blogs, radio or TV broadcasts, podcasts or any other communication that reports on sustainability.

Carlsberg UK Head of Corporate Affairs, Andrew Roache, said: “We’re delighted to be sponsoring the Sustainability Award for a second year. Working towards a sustainable future in beer, brewing and pubs is no longer a nice to do, it’s critical, and more and more businesses are taking a leading role for the benefit of the wider industry – and of course the planet.

“This award honours the writers, podcasters, filmmakers, journalists, and all those documenting the pursuit of better ideas and practices across the industry. It recognises their important role in sharing knowledge and ideas to build a more sustainable future.”

Guild Chair Pete Brown said: “Sustainability is one of the most important topics in our industry and set to become even more so in the years ahead. It is absolutely right that we recognise and reward those communicators who are contributing to greater awareness and sharing of best practice in the field, and we’re thrilled that Carlsberg UK is making this award possible again.”

He added, “This has been an extraordinary year, bringing unprecedented challenges to our industry and the communicators working in it. Our awards will look different this year, but we felt it was more important than ever to recognise the work of our talented members, as part of our mission to improve standards of beer writing and extend the public knowledge of beer.”

Details for all the awards can be found on the Guild’s website https://www.beerguild.co.uk/awards/   Finalists will be announced in November and the winners in each category, and the overall Beer Writer of the Year 2020, named in December via Zoom –  social distancing precluding the Guild’s annual dinner. Entries must have been published between 1 September 2019 and 31 August 2020 to be eligible.

Judges this year are: Tim Anderson, chef-owner of Japanese restaurant Nanban and beer expert; Gabe Cook, award winning cider expert, (aka The Ciderologist); Jez Galaun, co-founder of Brixton Brewery; Kate Oppenheim, hospitality sector journalist and communications expert, currently publisher and editor of BII News and Tom Stainer, CAMRA chief executive. The current Beer Writer of the Year, Jonny Garrett, chairs the panel.

The categories:

  • Guild Award for Best Beer Writer, Print Publications
  • Carlsberg UK Award for Best Writing on Sustainability in Beer and Pubs
  • Heineken Award for Best Beer Communicator, Online
  • Guild Award for Best Beer Broadcaster
  • Guild Award for Best Beer and Travel Writer
  • Guild Award for Best Beer Citizen Communicator
  • Guild Award for Best Beer Writer, Corporate Communications
  • NEW: Guild Award for Best Beer & Pub Communications during lockdown
  • SIBA Brewer of the Year Award (by member vote)

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

Carlsberg UK

As part of the Carlsberg Group, Carlsberg UK has long been brewing and selling some of Britain’s favourite beers. Today, they include Carlsberg Danish Pilsner, Carlsberg Export, Poretti, Grimbergen and Tuborg. We also hold the UK brand licences for San Miguel, Mahou, and the Brooklyn Brewery range, putting them at the heart of our growing premium portfolio.

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.

Heineken

With over 2,000 passionate people, some of the nation’s most loved beers and ciders, 2,700 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®, Lagunitas, Birra Moretti, Maltsmiths, Kronenbourg1664, John Smith’s, Amstel and Red Stripe, backed by a full range of niche and speciality brands.  We are also proud to work in partnership with Beavertown Brewery and Brixton 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.

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 protect the businesses of thousands of breweries across the UK through Government lobbying and campaigning in Parliament.