The Great British Home Brew Challenge 2012/13
Home Brew Challenge Judges
Craft brewing has had a resurgence across the world during the past few years and is having a fantastic influence on the brewing industry in the UK. With over 1100 breweries now operating, the range of beers styles available has never been greater. Many of the beers brewed in today’s new wave of breweries are brewed by professionally qualified brewers, others brewed by those that have developed skills through brewing at home. This reflects the tradition of brewing beer in the UK which until the advent of commercial breweries was in the main done at home and often by the woman of the house.
After a successful launch of the Great British Home Brew Challenge in 2011 the 2012/13 competition was launched in late November and last week the judging took place
Jim Harrison, Thornbridge MD, explains “A considerable number of home brewers develop great quality beers that can never be appreciated by a wider drinking public. The Home Brew Challenge provides home brewers with an opportunity to match their beers against those of other enthusiasts, and have them tasted by a panel of expert beer judges”.
The judges included top beer writer Pete Brown, Master Brewer Alex Barlow and last year’s winner Paul Carruthers who said “It was an enormous honour to be invited by Thornbridge to be on the judging panel this year. The standard of entries was ridiculously high, and I’m clearly going to have to get some practice in if I’m going to be able to compete next year and try to regain the title!”
After hours of tasting the judges announced “Roc Fall” a 4.3% Best Bitter brewed by Tom Wright of Woking as this year’s winning beer.
A delighted Tom said “It’s always rewarding when people like your beer but to get that recognition from professionals is fantastic. I’m really looking forward to seeing my beer in pubs, not only that, but having the opportunity to brew it with the guys from such a well respected brewery as Thornbridge is an experience that will be extremely hard to beat”.
Tom is already planning his trip to Thornbridge to get involved in the brewing of “Roc Fall”. Once brewed it will be made available throughout Nicholson’s 80 pubs across the UK.
Ben Lockwood, Brand Manager for Nicholson’s, another judge in this year’s final, said “The very high standard of the beer entered into the 2012/13 competition is a testament to the quality being produced by home brewers. We are delighted to be able to offer Tom the chance for his beer to be available in our pubs as the pub remains, of course, the best place to experience great British beer.”
Lockwood’s comments are echoed by Greg Hughes of Brew UK “The standard of the beer entered into the competition is a testament to the quality being produced by home brewers. Slowly the traditional view on home brewed beers is changing. Home brew is no longer a sub standard, poorly made product but a high quality, carefully produced, craft beer.”
