APPBG names its Brewer of the Year
Delap took the honour at the group’s annual awards dinner not only for Fyne Ales’ brewing achievements, but for his voluntary work on the Scottish Deposit return Scheme (DRS) – lobbying for changes that led to the scheme’s postponement, which will now give more time to work on a much-needed UK-wide solution.
Tireless voluntary work
Andy Slee, chief executive of the Society of Independent Brewers & Associates, of which Jamie Delap is a Scottish director, attended the awards and said: “Jamie’s tireless and entirely voluntary work on behalf of Scottish brewers in fighting for necessary changes to the proposed Deposit Return Scheme has led to it being delayed to come in line with other similar schemes across the UK.
“It’s a real victory for the sector, as in its previous form the scheme would have imposed huge bureaucracy and cost on all brewing and pub operators in Scotland.
“Without Jamie’s work in this area, all Scottish brewers would now be worse off and it is for this – in combination with the superb industry-leading beers being produced by Fyne Ales – he has deservedly been named the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group’s Brewer of the Year 2024.”
Fyne times
Fyne Ales was first established in 2001 in a disused dairy on the family farm. Since then, the brewery has become best known for its progressive award-winning British beers and for FyneFest, its annual beer, food and music festival.
A passionate advocate for the brewing industry, Delap first became involved in the family business in the west Highlands of Scotland in 2010, bringing experience from a masters degree in manufacturing and a manufacturing career in a number of countries across Europe and North America.
