The Business Awards, now in their sixth year, invited entries from SIBA’s 500 brewer members into a number of business-related categories. New awards were also given out to one SIBA pub associate and one supplier.
“Once again, the entries to the SIBA Business Awards were wide-ranging and of an extremely high standard,” said SIBA chief executive Julian Grocock.
“To succeed, our members have to do much more than just brew great beer: marketing, customer service, pack design and community support are all areas in which they have to become experts, and the winners and runners up today have more than risen to this challenge.
Worthy winners
"Castle Rock impressed the judges firstly with their marketing, in particular the phenomenal media interest they generated for their ‘Kiss Me Kate’ Royal Wedding ale earlier this year, but it is their sheer professionalism, and their business drive, that won the day for them. Far from sitting on their laurels after winning Champion Beer of Britain in 2010, Castle Rock have continued to evolve their range of core and seasonal beers, opened a bigger brewery and developed their pub estate. They are worthy winners of this year’s Overall Business Award.
“With talented and dedicated individuals like these at the forefront of local brewing, we should be optimistic about the prospects for the sector, which is continuing to show growth well ahead of the total UK beer market.
Castle Rock brewery also picked up the award for Best Marketing. The full list of winners at the SIBA Business Awards 2011 is as follows: -
Best Customer Support – Freedom Brewery, Staffordshire
Best E-Business – Bays Brewery, Devon
Best Community Support – Palmers Breery, Dorset
Best Marketing – Castle Rock Brewery, Nottingham
Best Sustainability – Otter Brewery, Devon
Best Business Development – Moorhouse’s Brewery, Lancashire
Best Individual Bottle Label – Derby Brewing Company
Best Range of Bottle Labels – Freedom Brewery
Best Individual Pumpclip – Palmers Brewery
Best Range of Pumpclips – Irving Brewery, Portsmouth
Best Total Design Concept – Wold Top Brewery, Yorkshire
Best SIBA Local – The Bell, Herefordshire
Best Supplier Associate – Charles Faram & Co
Overall Winner – Castle Rock Brewery, Nottingham