The aim of the Brewers in the Community campaign is to highlight the fantastic but often underappreciated work breweries do for charity, local people and for community causes.
SIBA’s judging panel was impressed by Brentwood Brewing's connection to its local community and the range of activities it undertakes. They were also impressed with its commitment to local charities, to elderly residents, to sustainability and to supporting local businesses.
Committed to the local community
Alex Burghart, MP for Brentwood and Ongar, presented Brentwood Brewing Company with its award on 15 June.
He said: “This is excellent news for Brentwood Brewing Company, excellent news for Brentwood and excellent news for beer. Under Brentwood Brewing Company, local ale goes from strength to strength.”
Roland Kannor of Brentwood Brewery added: “We are surprised but delighted to have won the national SIBA Brewers in the Community Award 2018. We are definitely and firmly committed to helping our local community. It is always a pleasure to be of assistance and we always end up having fun and enjoying ourselves at the same time.”
Innovative support offered
Tony Jerome, SIBA’s director of membership and marketing, said: "Despite the high standard of entries, it was Brentwood brewery that stood out from the rest. Their passion for finding innovative ways to support so many causes, from a local pre-school to the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire, was truly inspiring. Congratulations to everyone at the brewery!"
As part of the Brewers in the Community initiative, SIBA has also launched its second Brewers in the Community Report, with new research that illustrates how important independent breweries are to communities across Britain.
Key findings from the report include that 82% of independent breweries have supported a charity in the past 12 months, and 45% of the breweries donating money to good causes chose to support a local or village charity.