The All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group has named Mike Wood, MP for Dudley South and former Chairman of the Group, its “Beer Drinker of the Year” for 2023. Mike was elected in 2015 and joined the Beer Group almost immediately. In 2017, he took on the Chairmanship of the Group and consistently championed the importance of beer and pubs to the UK economy and local communities. During his time as Chairman, the Beer Group held a number of Inquiries into issues such as pub business rates, the future of cask beer, and unlocking pubs’ potential.
The Beer Group Chairman, the Rt Hon Alun Cairns MP, said “When the Covid-19 Pandemic hit in 2020, Mike worked tirelessly to support the beer and pub sectors, among the hardest hit by the successive lockdowns and enforced closures. He was instrumental in raising the profile of the industry’s plight, working to secure meetings with Ministers and achieve a level of support for the industry that enabled businesses to survive and jobs to be saved.”
The Beer Group, which is celebrating its 30th Anniversary this year, also presented a number of other awards at the dinner:
- Brewer of the Year: Rod White, Nottingham University
- Lifetime Achievement: Dr Paul Hegarty, outgoing Secretary of the APPBG
- Beer Parliamentarian of the Year: Lucy Powell, MP for Central Manchester
- Pub Parliamentarian of the Year: Pete Wishart, MP for Perth and North Perthsire.
- PubAid Award: Fuller’s
- Special Award: Marietta Stuart-Smith, for services to the APPBG
Ends.
Photo caption: Mike Wood, Beer Drinker of the Year
For further information: Rita King, Honorary Secretary, All Party Parliamentary Beer Group, rita@beergroup.org or 07768 876793
Notes to Editors
Previous Beer Drinkers of the Year:
| Rt. Hon. Kenneth Clarke QC MP | 1994 | ||
| Jack Charlton OBE | 1995 | ||
| Anna Chancellor | 1996 | ||
| John Lowe | 1997 | ||
| John Cryne | 1998 | ||
| Michael Parkinson OBE | 1999 | ||
| Edward Kelsey aka Joe Grundy of the Archers | 2000 | ||
| Darren Gough | 2001 | ||
| HRH the Prince of Wales | 2002 | ||
| Lord Jones of Cheltenham | 2003 | ||
| Roger Protz | 2004 | ||
| Rt. Hon. Gordon Brown MP | 2005 | ||
| Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff | 2006 | ||
| Michel Roux | 2007 | ||
| Nick Hewer | 2008 | ||
| David and Robert Aynesworth | 2009 | ||
| John Grogan | 2010 | ||
| Sriram Aylur | 2011 | ||
| Peter Hendy OBE | 2012 | ||
| Rt. Hon. George Osborne MP | 2013 | ||
| Robert Humphreys MBE | 2014 | ||
| The Sun Newspaper | 2015 | ||
| Cathy Price | 2016 | ||
| Andrew Griffiths MP Candice Brown Jodie Kidd Tom Kerridge |
2017 2018 2019 2022 |
Contact: Amanda Fry, P.A. & Admin Support, All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group, amanda@beergroup.org.
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