CAMRA’s 2013 Great British Beer Festival took place earlier this month at London’s Olympia and one of the highlights of the festival was the 2013 Champion Beer of Britain award, as well as the awards in each beer category. The festival itself and the award ceremonies took place in a fantastic Grade II listed Victorian venue approximately of approximately 15,000 square metres with capacity for some 10,000 ale and cider lovers!

Competition and CAMRA chair, Colin Valentine, had this to say about the overall winner – “It was a really tough decision but Elland 1872 Porter is a fantastic beer and a well deserved winner. A 6.5% abv, rich and strongly flavoured porter with flavours of coffee and dark chocolate, this result makes it two years in a row that our Champion Winter Beer has gone on to win the Champion Beer of Britain competition.”

Michael Wynnyczuk, head brewer at Elland Brewery said that he was “utterly shocked”, and “really proud to be crowned Champion Beer of Britain”.

Overall GBBF winners were:

• Gold Elland – 1872 Porter
• Silver Buntingford – Twitchell
• Bronze Fyne Ales – Jarl

The winners of the individual categories were as follows:

Milds:

• Gold Great Orme – Welsh Black
• Silver Cotswold Spring – Old Sodbury Mild
• Bronze Fernandes – Malt Shovel Mild

Jonathan Hughes – owner of Great Orme Brewery, said he was “over the moon” on learning that Welsh Black had won gold. He said “We are very proud of our Welsh Black which won best mild in Wales last year and has now scooped the award for the whole of the UK beating off some very reputable names in the industry. This has been a very successful year for Great Orme, and we hope to continue bringing in the awards and putting North Wales on the map.” Read our Meet The Brewer interview with Jonathan here.

Bitters:

• Gold Buntingford – Twitchell
• Silver Moor – Revival
• Bronze Surrey Hills – Ranmore Ale and Butcombe Bitter

Best Bitters:

• Gold Mordue – Workie Ticket
• Silver Surrey Hills – Shere Drop
• Bronze Purple Moose – Glaslyn and Woodfordes – Nelsons Revenge

Golden Ales:

• Gold Fyne Ales – Jarl
• Silver Buntingford – Polar Star
• Bronze St Austell – Proper Job

Strong Bitters:

• Gold Beeston – On the huh
• Silver Marble – Dobber
• Bronze Castle Rock – Screech Owl

Speciality Beers:

• Gold Growler Brewery, Nethergate – Umbel Magna
• Silver Saltaire – Triple Chocolate
• Bronze Conwy – Honey Fayre

Champion Winter Beer of Britain (from winners announced in January 2013)

• Elland – 1872 Porter
• Bartram’s – Comrade Bill Bartram’s EAIS Stout
• Kelburn – Dark Moor (Old Ale/Strong Mild)
• Hog’s Back – A over T (Barley Wine/Strong Old Ale)

Champion Bottled Beer of Britain winners:

• Gold – Molson Coors – Worthington White Shield
• Silver – St Austell – Proper Job
• Bronze – Harvey’s – Imperial Extra Double Stout

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