Pellicle, the independent UK drinks magazine based in Stockport, Greater Manchester is celebrating a triumphant year after 11 of its published features helped contributors to secure prizes at the recent British Guild of Beer Writers (BGBW) awards.
Held annually in London, the BGBW awards celebrates the best writing about beer and pubs, with entries open to both professional and amateur writers across the world. This year’s event took place on the 27th of November at Big Penny Social in Walthamstow, East London, and awarded successful individuals across 17 categories, including the Guild’s beer writer of the year, and brewer of the year.
Having already secured nominations for 16 published features earlier this month, Pellicle was feeling moderately confident it would take home a prize or two on the night. However, the team in attendance – editor-in-chief Matthew Curtis, deputy editor Katie Mather, and associate editor Lily Waite – were blown away by the sheer number of successes for the magazine’s writers on the night.
“I’m absolutely thrilled for the continued success of our contributors,” commented Pellicle’s founder and editor-in-chief Matthew Curtis. “Our writers work incredibly hard to bring so much to the stories we commission and publish, and the sheer volume of awards that were either in full, or in part, for Pellicle work demonstrates how much effort goes into everything we publish.”
These awards come on the back of two gold medals at the recent North American Guild of Beer Writers Awards, and a nomination for food magazine of the year at this year’s annual Guild of Food Writers awards, won by the National Geographic.
It also follows the magazine reaching the milestone of 500 paying subscribers, which has enabled Pellicle to increase the rate it pays all writers, photographers and illustrators who contribute to the magazine. The publication has also seen a 25% increase in traffic during 2024, proving that there is a huge appetite for high-quality, consumer focused drinks writing.
The awards received by Pellicle contributors, complete with links to their work, is as follows:
Best Commissioned Beer Writing
- Will Hawkes (GOLD): The Story of Dora Kulka, and How One Woman Changed British Beer Forever & Bonedigger, Bonedigger — How Grace Land and Saint Monday are Building an Empire in London
- Pete Brown (SILVER): This is the End — The Sad Demise of Worthington White Shield
Best Short-Form Beer Writing
- David Bailey (GOLD): Hype is Dead, Regional Cask is Forever & The Usual
Best Communication about No and Low Alcohol Beer
- Mark Dredge (GOLD): Visions Of The Things To Be — How Mash Gang is Breaking the Alcohol Free Mould
Best Communication about Pubs
- Rachel Hendry (SILVER): The Essential Guide to Beer and Crisp Pairing
Best Beer Business Communicator
- Will Hawkes (GOLD): Highway to Helles — Störtebeker Braumanufaktur in Stralsund, Germany
- Rob MacKay (SILVER): Do Androids Dream of Electric Pints? — On AI Art in the Beer Industry
Best Communication about Diversity in Beer
- Ruvani de Silva (GOLD): Apathy Has Rained On Me — On DEI Burnout in the Beer Industry & London Is The Place For Me — Robyn Weise and Her Windrush 75 Lager
For further information please contact Matthew Curtis directly via matthew@pelliclemag.com. The attached photo is by Cath Harries, and features L-R: Pellicle contributor Mark Dredge, Katie Mather, Matthew Curtis and BGBW chair Jonny Garrett.
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