BBPA announces industry award winners
Frederic Robinson, Everards and Carlsberg UK all scooped prizes, and a special Chairman’s Award was given to Financial Secretary to the Treasury Sajid Javid MP, who championed for the first cut in beer duty since the 1950s.
Beer Champion
Frederic Robinson won Beer Champion 2013 for its “true dedication to beer and brewing”. The judges were particularly impressed with its £2m visitor and educational centre, brews designed for food matching and a beer brewed jointly with Iron Maiden. Marston’s was highly commended in the category for constantly challenging itself to innovate.
Pub Champion
Everards came out top in the Pub Champion 2013 category for taking on the challenge of reopening closed pubs and supporting emerging small brewers to expand. BBPA said: “It is a company dedicated to pubs far beyond its own brand and invests in pub people at every opportunity.” Star Pubs & Bars was highly commended for its investment in pubs and publicans.
Heart of the Community
The Heart of the Community award was given to Carlsberg UK for their social responsibility programme, ‘Engage with Society’. The judges recognised that cultural change in a large operation is hard and this scheme is set to continue until 2020. Family brewer Timothy Taylor was highly commended for supporting local businesses and charities.
BBPA chief executive Brigid Simmonds said: “It has been a momentous year for the beer and pub industry, and a tough one for our judges.
“I want to thank all our entries, which have doubled in number this year. I am absolutely delighted for them all, and especially pleased that the work of the Government, in its historic decision to cut the tax burden for this great British product, has been rightly recognised with the award for Sajid Javid.”
