The British Guild of Beer Writers has announced the judges for its 2012 Awards while extending the deadline for entries by one week to Friday, 14 September.
The judges have been drawn from the worlds of journalism and brewing, ensuring that entries will be assessed on their journalistic merit as well as technical accuracy.
Chairing the panel is Ben McFarland, who won the Beer Writer of the Year Award for the third time in 2011and who writes regularly about beer for both national and trade media. Joining McFarland are:
– Guy Dimond, food and drink editor of Time Out
– Holly O’Neill, editor of Jamie magazine
– Alastair Hook, brewmaster at Meantime Brewery and a previous winner of the Guild’s ‘Brewer of the Year’ award
Guild chairman Tim Hampson said, “This is a stellar line up of judges for our Awards which reflects the growing prestige attached to them. The panel offers a balance of brewing expertise and a broader understanding of what will engage readers who aren’t already beer enthusiasts – the Guild should be about recruiting new drinkers rather than preaching to the converted.
“We felt that many writers and communicators who might have been thinking of entering the Awards will now be keen to have their work judged by this newly-announced panel, hence our decision to give all prospective entrants an extra week to submit.”
The Awards are open to anyone who communicates about beer or pubs. Despite the title, entries are welcome not just from writers, but from bloggers, broadcasters, photographers, illustrators, designers – anyone whose work furthers the Guild’s mission “to extend public knowledge and appreciation of beer and pubs”.
Work can be entered into one or more of seven categories, with the winner in each – apart from the Corporate Communications category – being considered for the top title of Beer Writer of the Year and the coveted Michael Jackson Gold Tankard Award.
To enter the British Guild of Beer Writers Awards 2012, visit http://beerguild.co.uk/?page_id=2162