Champion Beer of Britain 2024 revealed

Crouch Vale Brewery’s Amarillo took the title, after a rigorous and hard-fought final round of judging. 

The award was announced today (Wednesday 23 October) during the trade session at Kelham Hall Beer and Cider Festival, at Kelham Hall, Newark, Nottinghamshire.

Tasting notes

Amarillo, which has a 5% ABV, was described by Champion Beer of Britain judging panel organised Christine Cryne as having “a tangy aroma with a faint note of biscuit.

“The flavour is full of topical and citrus notes on a sweet biscuit base [with a] dry, sweetish bitter finish. A full flavoured beer.”

She stated it was a commendable winner, which was worthy of the title despite the exceptionally strong competition.

Directors of the Essex-based business, which was founded in 1981, Colin and Fiona Bocking said: “We are delighted. We have been doing this for half our lives.

“We won in 2005 and we won in 2006 and there has been a 19-year hiatus. Hopefully, this will demonstrate to people we are still around and we are still making great beer."

Beer history

They added: “This is a beer that has been brewed for 30 years at the time when a lot of these very exciting American hops were coming on the market, we decided to use Amarillo hops from Washington state in the USA and we are still using them today.”

Previously, the Champion Beer of Britain was announced at CAMRA’s Great British Beer Festival, is returning next summer​ (5 to 9 August 2025) at the NEC in Birmingham – this will be the first time it has been held in the West Midlands since 1983.

The competition will return to the Great British Beer Festival next year with the overall winers announced on the first day of the event.

Last year’s winner​ was Elland Brewery’s 1872 Porter at the Great British Beer Festival at London’s Olympia.