Women-championing Harrogate beer event in running for UK award

Harrogate's Women On Tap beer festival has made it as finalists in the national British Guild of Beer Writers Corporate Communications Award.
By Graham Chalmers
Published 18th Nov 2019, 16:05 BST
Updated 18th Nov 2019, 16:06 BST
National finalists - A gathering at a recent Harrogate Women on Tap event.National finalists - A gathering at a recent Harrogate Women on Tap event.
National finalists - A gathering at a recent Harrogate Women on Tap event.

Having started out as a small social enterprise in Harrogate, WoT now hosts an annual beer and arts festival in independent bars in Harrogate and Knaresborough every May, plus a range of year-round projects, collaborations and events.

WoT's fundamental aim is to showcase the very best of the region’s beer and hospitality alongside brilliant women leading the way in beer, food, and the arts.

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WoT's co-founder Rachel Auty said: "We are up against two huge names in UK beer but it's fantastic news for Harrogate.

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Harrogate's Women On Tap beer festival has made it as finalists in the national British Guild of Beer Writers Corporate Communications Award.Harrogate's Women On Tap beer festival has made it as finalists in the national British Guild of Beer Writers Corporate Communications Award.
Harrogate's Women On Tap beer festival has made it as finalists in the national British Guild of Beer Writers Corporate Communications Award.

"Recent research has revealed that at just 17% the UK has the lowest percentage of female beer drinkers in the world, and that the damage done by years of marketing beer to men, the positioning of pubs as masculine spaces, resulting inherent sexism, and other misconceptions around image and health are all causes."

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In total the Guild of Beer Writers shortlisted 28 writers, journalists and bloggers in its annual awards.

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The winners in 11 categories as well as the overall Beer Writer of the Year and Brewer of the Year will be unveiled at the Guild’s Annual Awards presentation and dinner on December 3.

Judges read, viewed and listened to some 150 entries which included books, newspaper and magazine articles, both printed and online, as well as blogs, radio broadcasts, films and podcasts.

This year’s competition includes two new categories: Best Writing on Sustainability in Beer & Pubs, sponsored by Carlsberg and Best Beer Broadcaster, and a new sponsor in Asahi, for the Best Beer & Travel Category.

The finalists were selected by a judging panel, chaired by current Beer Writer of the Year Emma Inch, made up of: Laurence Creamer, Social & Digital Lead on industry campaign Long Live The Local; Tim Hayward, food & drink author, restaurant reviewer and regular on Radio 4’s Kitchen Cabinet;: Charlie McVeigh, founder of Draft House; Tony Naylor, food & drink writer contributing to The Guardian and BBC Good Food; Ross O’Hara, head brewer at Greene King; Kate Oppenheim, hospitality sector journalist and communications expert, currently publisher and editor of BII News; Tony Sophoclides, Strategic Affairs Director at UKHospitality

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Inch said: “Whittling the large field of high-quality entries down to a shortlist was a challenge and everyone on it should be proud of having reached this stage.

“We were especially pleased to see a good number of entries to the new Carlsberg-sponsored Award on writing about sustainability, and to the Beer Broadcaster category. The best entrants in all categories demonstrated a sure grasp of their subject, coupled with a talent for storytelling, whether they did this through books, press articles, blog posts or videos.

“The quality, breadth of topics covered and diversity of media used by our finalists shows that writing about beer and pubs is in good health. We look forward to toasting all our shortlisted writers, and announcing the winners, at our awards dinner next month.”

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The Awards dinner will be held on Tuesday, December 3 at One Great George Street in Westminster.

Guests enjoy dinner with beers matched to each course and beers before and after the meal, provided by the Awards sponsors.

Guild members, both individual and corporate, and non-Guild members, are welcome to attend, more information and tickets are available on the Guild website.

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GUILD OF BEER WRITERS AWARDS 2019: THE SHORTLIST

Guild Award for Best Beer Writer - Corporate Communications

• Ei Group for National Pub Fortnight

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• Verdant Brewing for blog posts: verdantbrewing.co/blogs/news

• Women on Tap: www.womenontap.co.uk/

Guild Award for Best Citizen Beer Communicator

• Ahmed ElAlamin for https://idiots.beer/

• Lana Svitankova for https://lana-svitankova.blogspot.com

• Oli Haydon for www.youtube.com/user/pintsizedthinking

Guild Award for Best Beer Broadcaster

• Matthew Curtis for posts on www.goodbeerhunting.com

• Jonny Garrett for YouTube and podcasts: www.youtube.com/thecraftbeerchannel

• Breandán Kearney for www.belgiansmaak.com

• Natalya Watson for www.beerwithnat.com

Long Live the Local Award for Best Writer about Pubs

• Ian Clayton for It’s the Beer Talking

• Matthew Curtis for writing on www.pelliclemag.com

• James Dowdeswell for The Pub Manifesto

• Katie Taylor for writing in Ferment

Asahi Award for Best Beer and Travel Writer

• Claire Bullen for writing on www.goodbeerhunting.com

• Jonny Garrett for YouTube films and article in BEER

• Laura Hadland for www.extremehousewife.com

• Vince Raison for Today South London, Tomorrow South London

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• Eoghan Walsh for articles in Ferment, Pellicle and others

Carlsberg UK Award for Best Writing about Sustainability in Beer and Pubs

• Matthew Curtis for articles in Ferment

• Alastair Gilmour for articles in Cheers

• Will Hawkes for articles in BEER, among others

• Roger Protz for posts on www.protzonbeer.co.uk/

St Austell Family Group Award for Best Young Beer Writer

• Jonny Garrett for YouTube films and podcasts

• Tom Powell for articles on www.foodism.co.uk

• Lily Waite for articles on www.goodbeerhunting.com and www.pelliclemag.com

• Eoghan Walsh for articles on www.beercity.brussels

• Daniel Woolfson for writing in www.thegrocer.co.uk

Heineken Award for Best Beer Communicator – Online

• Claire Bullen for writing on www.goodbeerhunting.com

• Matthew Curtis for writing on www.goodbeerhunting.com and www.pelliclemag.com

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• Jonny Garrett for YouTube and www.thecraftbeerchannel.com

• Lana Svitankova for https://lana-svitankova.blogspot.com

• Eoghan Walsh for www.beercity.brussels

Fuller Smith & Turner Award for Best Beer Writer - Trade Media

• Matthew Curtis for articles in www.goodbeerhunting.com

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• Anthony Gladman for articles including Drinks Retailing News

• Will Hawkes for articles in Imbibe

• Richard Molloy for articles in Inapub

• Adrian Tierney-Jones for articles in Imbibe

Adnams Award for Best Beer Writer - Regional Media

• Tomm Carroll for articles in www.beerpaperla.com/

• Alastair Gilmour for Cheers

• Simon Jenkins for The Yorkshire Beer Bible

• Jane Peyton for regional radio broadcasts

Greene King Award for Best Beer Writer - National Media

• Claire Bullen for The Beer Lover’s Table and various articles

• Ian Clayton for It’s the Beer Talking

• Roger Protz for articles in What’s Brewing and BEER

• Adrian Tierney-Jones for articles in Daily Star, Daily Telegraph and others

• Eoghan Walsh for articles in Ferment, Pellicle and others

SIBA Brewer of the Year

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Guild members nominated the following brewers and the winner, decided by member vote, will be announced at the event:

• Greg Hobbs, Five Points Brewing Co

• Scott Lawrence, Batemans

• Sophie de Ronde, Burnt Mill Brewing

• Rob Topham, Camden Town Brewery

• Ben Wilkinson, Wylam Brewery

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