SIBA Business Awards 2024 Finalists: The UK’s best independent beer businesses revealed

February 26, 2024| Neil Walker | SIBA National

Finalists in the SIBA Business Awards 2024 have today been revealed, highlighting the breweries, taprooms, retailers, pubs and beer industry businesses in the running to be named the best in the UK.

The SIBA Business Awards presentation takes place in Liverpool next month and seeks to congratulate excellence in the brewing industry across a variety of categories, from pump clip, can and bottle design, to efforts taken by brewers to make their business more sustainable, innovative or successful, as well as naming the UK’s best pubs, bars and retailers of craft beer from independent breweries.

“It has been a huge year for entries into the awards, with a 43% increase in entries in 2024 compared to 2023, making the achievement of being named a finalist all the tougher. It was also great to see such a huge response to new categories such as the Collaboration and Brewers’ Brewer of the Year Awards.” Neil Walker, Chair of Judges SIBA Business Awards.

The SIBA Business Awards this year included three brand new categories for Best Collaboration, Best New Brewery, and a Brewers’ Brewer of the Year award.

The new collaboration award seeks to highlight collaborations which amplify the reach of the businesses involved, appeal to new audiences, or create a commercial success to the mutual benefit of all involved. This could be a beer collaboration, product line, new business venture, festival or event partnership, and judges will be looking for innovative, exciting collaborations that capture the imagination of their target audience.

The second new category for 2024 is the UK’s Best New Independent Craft Brewery. This award aims to highlight the year’s most exciting and successful new brewery; whose impact on the industry, critical acclaim, or popularity with beer drinkers belies their short time in operation.

2024 also sees the introduction of a brand-new member voted Brewer of the Year Award. The “Brewers’ Brewer of the Year” seeks to highlight the brewer who has had the biggest positive influence on our industry in the last twelve months, either through producing truly outstanding beers, delivering change for the industry, or giving back to the brewing community.

Joining the expert judging panel for 2023 were Andy Slee, SIBA Chief Executive; Steve Alton, Chief Executive of the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII); Ellie Hudspith, Senior Campaigns Manager at CAMRA; Jo Hunter, Interior & Architectural Design expert and founder of Hunter’s Daughter; Robyn Black, Head of Content at Fleetstreet Communications; Pete Brown, Broadcaster and author; and Neil Walker, SIBA Head of Comms & Marketing, who chaired the panel.

The SIBA Business Awards 2024 will be presented on Wednesday 13^th March at BeerX UK in Liverpool by acclaimed beer author, journalist, broadcaster and consultant Pete Brown. Named British Guild of Beer Writers’ “Beer Writer of the Year” in 2009, 2012, 2016 and 2021, Pete has won three Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards, been shortlisted twice for the Andre Simon Awards, and in 2020 was named an “Industry Legend” at the Imbibe Hospitality Awards.

SIBA Business Awards 2024 Finalists: The UK’s best independent beer businesses revealed

Author: Neil Walker

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