Multiple-Champion Homebrewer sees ‘SMASH Beer’ launch to the public

A champion home brewer will see his award-winning brew launch to the public today for the second year running.

Stuart Hubbard took home the Gold at the Society of Independent Brewers & Associates (SIBA) Homenbrew Beer Awards for the second year running in March this year, before joining the brewing team at Copper Beech Brewing Co in Worcester earlier this month to scale up his brew.

His amber ale ‘Solar Flare’ featured Charles Faram’s experimental ‘CF243’ hops - which offer aromas of orange peel, herbs and honey – as well English heritage malt variety Chevalier to create a beer with aromatic orange marmalade and rich malt character.

Champion Homebrewer Stuart Hubbard discusses what he thinks help set his beer apart from the competition;

“The theme for this year’s competition was to brew a single malt and single hop (SMASH) beer, so everyone used the CF243 hops from Charles Faram which has got a lot of orange peel and some herbal character, and I paired it with Chevalier malt which has got quite a sweet marmalade character. So I was hoping they would work well together to create that kind of marmalade character, which I think came through well in the final beer and was enjoyed by the judges.”

The beer will be available via the Copper Beech taproom in Worcester from the 7th of August as well as a select number of local venues in and around Worcester.

Dan Lawson, Copper Beech Brewery Director said;

"As a former homebrewer, it has been a real privilege to be involved in brewing Stuart’s recipe here at Copper Beech. Supporting homebrewing is incredibly important to me, and it has been fantastic to work with Stuart on this beer, as well as welcome him as a guest speaker at our inaugural homebrew festival, Woo Brew.

Stuart is an extremely knowledgeable and talented brewer, and winning this competition two years in a row is a testament to his skill and expertise. It has been a pleasure to help bring his recipe to life on a larger scale.

As a brewery, we are also passionate about supporting hop breeding programmes through Charles Faram. All of our cask beer is brewed exclusively with UK-grown hops, so having the opportunity to showcase another experimental hop through this competition has been particularly rewarding."

SIBA’s Head of Communication’s and Marketing Neil Walker joined Stuart and the competition sponsor’s Charles Faram and The Malt Miller for the brew day at Copper Beech.

“Stuart is a hugely talented brewer and has a real eye for creating recipes which grab the attention of judges for their professional quality, aroma and flavour. The quality of beer in the SIBA Homebrew beer awards is incredibly high, so to edge out the pack and come away as the overall champion two years running is a truly impressive achievement.”

For the 2026 SIBA Homebrew Beer Awards, SIBA teamed up hop merchants Charles Farams, The Malt Miller and indie brewery Copper Beech to challenge homebrewing members to brew the UK’s best ‘SMASH’ beer, using a single variety of malt of their choice and a single hop, the experimental CF243 provided free of charge by Charles Faram.

Rob Neale, Founder and Director at The Malt Miller had this to say on the awards;

"We're incredibly proud to support the SIBA Homebrew Beer Awards because they celebrate exactly what makes home brewing so exciting today. The standard of brewing at home has never been higher, with access to the same ingredients, equipment and techniques used by professional breweries. Competitions like this create a genuine two-way exchange of ideas, where home brewers are inspired by the innovation happening in commercial brewing, while commercial brewers increasingly look to the homebrew community for fresh ideas, new techniques and emerging beer styles. It's also fantastic to be working alongside Charles Faram, who we've partnered with for many years. The work they're doing to champion and develop British hops is hugely important, giving both home and commercial brewers access to world-class home-grown varieties and helping secure the future of British hop growing."

Charlie Gorham, Head of Marketing, PR & Events, Charles Faram & Co Ltd;

“At Charles Faram, our innovation in hop development requires curiosity, technical understanding and a willingness to experiment, and home brewers bring that in abundance. Their data aids our programme by brewing with hops that only exist in very small quantities.

The SIBA Homebrew Beer Awards, and in turn the SIBA members, embrace those who have a passion for the artistry and comradery that surrounds our common interest. Through competiting at a level judged by professional peers, hobbyists and enthusiast are encouraged to refine their skills, deepen their understanding of brewing science and strive for ever higher standards. Just as importantly, this competition brings people together. Building and supporting a strong community is one of our core values, and we're proud to support an initiative that celebrates craftsmanship, knowledge-sharing, collaboration, and a shared passion for great beer."

The SIBA Homebrew Beer Awards 2027 will open for entries later this year and is only open to SIBA Homebrewer Members. For more information on SIBA Homebrewer Membership visit www.siba.co.uk/homebrewer

Venues serving the beer

Copper Beech Brewery & Taproom, Worcester

The Oil Basin, Worcester

Beer Lodge, Leamington Spa

Chester Tavern, Kidderminster

Malvern Tavern, Malvern

Maverick Severn, Upton

Cocky Anchor, Worcester

Bull Baiters, Worcester

Bush & Vine, Worcester

For more information:

SIBA Press Office

Neil Walker, Head of Communications and Marketing

neil.walker@siba.co.uk

Third-party news items are published as received for informational purposes. Publication does not imply endorsement by the Guild. Please use the contact details within the post for any enquiries.