News Release 25.05.22

Welbeck Abbey Brewery wins awards in several cask ale competitions for its newly released core range beers, including GOLD at the prestigious SIBA Midlands Independent Beer Awards for ‘Atlas’.

Welbeck Abbey Brewery are delighted to announce that the revamp of its core-range beers has been a great success, with positive feedback all round for the three brand-new beers and new-look designs. The beers have been well received by both trade customers and the general public, and this has been validated by the winning of a number of different awards in a variety of regional and national beer competitions over the last few months.

The good news began shortly after the launch event, with wins for all three new beers at the Farm Shop & Deli Show, held from 25-27th April at the NEC in Birmingham. The Product Awards were a new addition to the show’s line-up, adding unrivalled value to regional food and drink producers and showcasing excellence in the industry. Scores of suppliers were judged by an exacting panel of industry experts who considered criteria including sustainability, ethical brand stories and provenance. Skylight and Hennymoor both scooped a Bronze Award, with Atlas taking home a Silver.

The awards continued to roll in, with Red Feather taking Gold and Skylight taking Bronze in their respective categories at the local Barrow Hill Roundhouse Rail Ale Festival in Chesterfield. The festival was held from 19th-21st May, with over 350 beers on offer for revellers to sample. The competition entries were blind tasted by a panel of judges with the gold category winners going forward to a final blind 'drink off' to choose the Champion Beer. Apparently, the judges had a very hard time choosing the champion beer, which doesn’t come as a surprise with beers like Red Feather in the running!

Last, but certainly not least, Welbeck’s new Ultra Hopped West Coast IPA, ‘Atlas’, won the coveted Gold Award in the pale cask category at the SIBA Midlands Independent Beer Awards. The SIBA Independent Beer Awards judge a huge range of beers across a number of styles in separate cask and keg competitions. As the awards are judged mostly by brewers, industry experts and beer journalists, they are very much seen as the prestigious ‘Brewers’ choice Awards’ by the industry. Roy Allkin, SIBA Chairman, says; “The winners of the SIBA competition are officially the best independent craft beers in the region, something brewers should be extremely proud of.”

Managing Director, Claire Monk, says; “Reinventing the core range of beers was a bold move, and one which I was still apprehensive about, however with the awards rolling in we are all breathing a sigh of relief. I knew the brewers had come up with cracking new beers and I’m delighted that their efforts have been recognised by industry experts across the country.”

Claire and her team are now concentrating on the rest of the year ahead, with more awards hopefully in the pipeline, as all four beers have been entered into the popular Great Taste Awards, the results of which will be announced in August. Watch this space! If you’d like to try these award-winning beers for yourself, you can purchase them online for delivery within the local area (see website below) or visit one of the many pubs and beer shops that stock Welbeck Abbey Brewery. Trade customers contact Claire directly on 01909 512539 for orders.

www.welbeckabbeybrewery.co.uk @welbeckabbeybry 01909 512539