The awards received 190 entries across 16 categories – the highest number ever – with a record prize fund of £19,500, shared between 27 gold and silver award winners.
On his way to the top honour, Garrett won gold in the categories for Pub Communications, Books and Video Communications – the latter with Brad Evans, his co-presenter on the Craft Beer Channel on YouTube. His book, A Year in Beer, was published earlier this year by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) and he also contributes regularly to beer magazines and websites such as Good Beer Hunting.
Exceptionally hard
Pete Brown, chair of judges for this year’s awards, which took place on Wednesday 23 November at One Great George Street in Westminster, said: “Choosing an overall Beer Writer this year was exceptionally hard, but Jonny was the judges’ choice because of the range of his work, from print articles to website posts, films and a new book.
“Whatever he does, he has complete mastery of his topic, thanks to painstaking research, and is able to communicate it to beer nerds or a generalist audience. If we ever get a beer programme on mainstream TV, Jonny should definitely make it.
Brown was joined on the judging panel by Mitch Adams, beer sommelier and beer buyer at Euroboozer; Molly Davis, head of communications at the BII; Claire Dodd, travel and drinks writer; Matt Eley, communications consultant and former editor of Inapub magazine; Fergus Fitzgerald, production director at Adnams; Kelly McCarthy CBII, licensee of the Old Sun Inn in Yorkshire; John Mitchinson, co-founder of crowdfunding publishers Unbound; Ned Palmer, cheesemonger and author and Michelle Perrett, industry journalist and communications expert.
Elusive title
The Brewer of the Year title, sponsored by SIBA, was presented to Andy Parker, founder and head brewer at Elusive Brewing, who won the highest number of votes in a poll of Guild members.
Presenting the Award, Guild chair Emma Inch said: “Andy’s passion for brewing shows in every beer he produces, and what ends up in the glass is always a shining example of its style. He hasn’t forgotten his homebrew roots, running an annual competition that gives the winner a platform to brew their own beer, and benefit from his time and knowledge as a mentor.”
British Guild of Beer Writers winners
SIBA Award for Brewer of the Year
Andy Parker, Elusive Brewing
Guild Award for Best Corporate Beer Communications
Winner: Untold Agency for Republic of Beer campaign for Budweiser Budvar UK
Guild Award for Best Citizen Beer Communicator, sponsored by Krombacher
Winner: Oli Haydon for www.youtube.com/user/pintsizedthinking
Silver Award: Matthew Rogers for CAMRAngle magazine
Award for Best Beer Business Communicator
Winner: Stephen Beaumont for articles in Just Drinks
Best Communication about Pubs, sponsored by Shepherd Neame
Winner: Jonny Garrett for films on cask ale
Silver Award: Alastair Gilmour for articles in Meet and Drink
Highly Commended: David Jesudason for articles in Good Beer Hunting and Pellicle
Award for Best Communication about Beer & Travel, sponsored by VisitFlanders
Winner: Lily Waite for articles in Pellicle
Silver Award: Dan Saladino for chapters from his book Eating to Extinction
Award for Best Communication about Sustainability in Beer and Pubs, sponsored by Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company UK
Winner: Anthony Gladman for articles in Ferment and IBD
Silver Award: Mark Dredge for articles in Ferment
Award for Best Communication about No and Low Alcohol Beers, sponsored by Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I
Winner: Laura Hadland for blog articles
Silver Award: Jane Peyton for Food Talk Show
Award for Best Audio Beer Communicator, sponsored by Asahi UK
Winner: Eoghan Walsh for A History of Brussels Beer in 50 Objects – Brussels Beer City
Silver Award: Jane Peyton for articles on Food Talk Show
Guild Award for Best Video Beer Communication, sponsored by St Austell Brewery
Winner: Jonny Garrett & Brad Evans for Craft Beer Channel
Silver: Danny Savage for pub stories broadcast on BBC News
Award for Best Newcomer to Beer Communication, sponsored by Fuller Smith & Turner
Winner: Reece Hugill for article in Pellicle: I Want To See Mountains Again – The Banked Beers of Teesside, North East England
Silver Award: Ashley Joanna for articles in Belgian Smaak
Award for Best Book about Beer or Pubs, sponsored by Heineken UK
Winner: Jonny Garrett for A Year in Beer (CAMRA)
Silver Award: Jaega Wise for Wild Brews
Highly Commended: Em Sauter for Hooray for Craft Beer
Best Beer Communicator, Regional Media, sponsored by Adnams
Winner: Alastair Gilmour for articles in Meet and Drink
Silver Award: Ashley Joanna for articles in Belgian Smaak
Highly Commended: Breandán Kearney for articles in The Brussels Times Magazine
Award for Best Communication about Diversity in Beer and Pubs
Winner: David Jesudason for various articles
Highly Commended: Ruvani de Silva for various articles
Award for Best Communication about Cider, sponsored by Inch’s Cider
Winner: Gabe Cook for Modern British Cider
Silver Award: James Crowden for Cider Country
Award for Best Self-Published Writing about Beer
Winner: Eoghan Walsh for articles on Brussels Beer City
Highly Commended: Mark Dredge for work on beer flavours
Highly Commended: Beth Demmon for her Prohibitchin’ blogs
Award for Best Commissioned Beer Writing, sponsored by Greene King
Winner: David Jesudason for various articles including
Silver Award: Jemma Beedie for various articles
Highly Commended: Will Hawkes for various articles
The Michael Jackson Gold Award for Beer Writer of the Year 2022
Winner: Jonny Garrett
