Brace of prizes for West Berkshire Brewery at prestigious SIBA awards include business accolade for best marketing and communications
West Berkshire Brewery (WBB), the multiple award-winning beer-maker led by serial international brewing and pub entrepreneur David Bruce, has added to its trophy cabinet with two prestigious awards from SIBA – the Society of Independent Brewers.
The brewer of flagship ale Good Old Boy scooped a business award for ‘Best Marketing and Communications’, as well as collecting a silver medal in the strong bottled bitter category for its Dr Hexter’s Healer beer. Both awards were presented at Beer X, SIBA’s annual beer expo, in Sheffield.
Victoria Mills, Marketing Director for WBB, said: “It’s extremely exciting to receive two awards in such a competitive awards programme, which pits the finest beers and best brewers in the country against one another. While we are of course absolutely thrilled to be awarded the silver medal for Hexter’s, we are always confident in the taste and quality of our beers. However, it feels particularly special to be recognised for one of SIBA’s business awards – for best marketing and communications – when so many brewers are doing such great things to grow their businesses.”
WBB was singled out in the marketing and communications category for its Tommy Atkins Traditional Ale campaign – a project which saw the Yattendon-based brewery launch a WW1 commemorative beer, to mark the historic 100-year anniversary since the start of World War One.
The silver medal-winning Dr Hexter’s Healer beer earned its place at the national finals by winning a gold award in the SIBA South East competition. It was one of a handful of beers shortlisted to represent the region at BeerX – where it was judged against others of the same style from across the country.
Mike Benner, Managing Director of SIBA, said: “There are now more than 1,400 small brewers in the UK, producing innovative, flavourful beers that have fuelled the regeneration of the British beer market and introduced millions of consumers to our national drink.
“With hundreds of beers entered into our regional beer competitions, winning an award and progressing to the national finals is a mark of a quality beer, and West Berkshire Brewery should be very proud of this achievement.”
Dr Hexter’s Healer (5% ABV) is a full-bodied and highly hopped strong bitter, packed with rich flavours and marmalade zestiness.
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Issued on behalf of West Berkshire Brewery by Fleet Street Communications. For photography and further information, please contact:
Mark Stretton 07974 303657 020 3567 5802 mark@fsc.uk.com
Maisie Johnson 07792 105194 020 3567 1290 maisie@fsc.uk.com
Notes to editors:
About West Berkshire Brewery
□ The West Berkshire Brewery is an award-winning, independent brewery founded in 1995 situated in Yattendon, Berkshire.
□ Since March 2013, WBB has been led by its Chairman, David Bruce, who, during a 48-year international brewing career, founded Bruce’s Brewery and the Firkin pub chain in 1979.
□ WBB produces a selection of the highest quality craft-brewed beers and ales, both cask-conditioned and in bottles.
□ WBB uses traditional brewing techniques and prides itself on using British raw materials.
□ The multi-award winning, classic bitter, Good Old Boy (4% ABV), is a perennial favourite. This flagship beer has been a best seller since first brewed in 1995. It is now the official ale of Reading Football Club.
□ WBB beers have won over 40 awards including Champion Strong Beer of Britain and, most recently, the International Beer Challenge Awards as well as two Great Taste Awards.
□ WBB’s range of delicious beers is available in many free houses across the country. Most prestigiously, its bottled beers are available in Fortnum & Mason, Waitrose, Tesco and Majestic Wines.
□ The brewery capacity, at its current site, is 210 barrels per week, 11,000 barrels per year.
□ Based on the current growth rate WBB expects to outgrow the existing brewery and is planning to move to a new high-spec site allowing for a tenfold increase in production.
For more information on WBB and its outstanding range of beers, please visit www.wbbrew.com, call 01635 202968 or emailinfo@wbbrew.com
About SIBA & BeerX
BeerX is an annual celebration of British beer, organised by the Society of Independent Brewers. This year, it takes place at iceSheffield from 18-21 March. The event includes: speeches from some of the beer industry’s leading figures; seminars on a variety of beer-related topics, delivered by experts in their field and the announcement of the National Beer Competition and SIBA Business Awards winners. On 20-21 March, SIBA stages the BeerX Festival of Beer, showcasing more than 300 beers, all of them finalists in SIBA’s National Beer Competition. It is the biggest beer festival to offer drinkers a choice of cask, keg and bottled beers from across the country.
Maisie Johnson | Junior Account Executive
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