The London Beer Competition has unveiled the first round of judges confirmed for its landmark 10th edition, bringing together some of the UK's most influential retail beer buyers and category decision-makers. The first names announced include senior buyers from Morrisons, Waitrose & Partners, and Ocado—professionals who collectively influence the beers listed, promoted, and sold to millions of consumers across the UK.

As the competition celebrates its tenth year, the quality of the judging panel reflects the London Beer Competition's continued focus on commercial success. Unlike traditional beer competitions that reward technical brewing excellence alone, the London Beer Competition evaluates every beer based on three equally important criteria: Quality, Value, and Packaging. The beers are judged by professionals who buy, sell, merchandise, and recommend beer every day, ensuring that medals recognise products with genuine market appeal.

Jourdan Gabbini – Buyer, Beer & Cider, Waitrose & Partners

The first round of judges is completed by Jourdan Gabbini, Buyer for Beer & Cider at Waitrose & Partners.

Waitrose is recognised for its premium retail positioning and carefully curated drinks range, making its buying decisions highly influential for breweries looking to reach discerning consumers. Jourdan manages beer and cider purchasing across the retailer, identifying products that combine quality, innovation, value and strong consumer appeal.

Her expertise brings an important premium retail perspective to the judging process, helping ensure that medal-winning beers demonstrate the characteristics sought by one of the UK's most respected supermarket buyers.

Harry Barker CMgr – Senior Trader, Craft Beer, Ales & Stout, Morrisons

Image: Centre: Harry Barker CMgr, Senior Trader for Craft Beer, Ales & Stout at Morrisons, one of the UK's largest supermarket chains.

Harry Barker is responsible for developing and managing Morrisons' craft beer, ale, and stout categories, overseeing product selection, supplier relationships, pricing strategies, and category growth. His role gives him direct insight into changing consumer preferences, emerging beer styles, and the commercial factors that determine which beers earn valuable shelf space within one of Britain's leading grocery retailers.

For breweries entering the London Beer Competition, Harry brings the perspective of a buyer who evaluates products not only on taste but also on their ability to perform in a highly competitive retail environment.

Helena Copeland – Buyer for Low & No Beers and Ready to Drink, Ocado

The first judging panel also includes Helena Copeland, Buyer for Low & No Beers and Ready to Drink at Ocado.

As one of the UK's leading online grocery retailers, Ocado has become an important platform for premium beverages and fast-growing consumer trends. Helena is responsible for sourcing and developing the retailer's Low & No Beer and RTD categories, two segments experiencing significant growth as consumers increasingly seek moderation, convenience, and innovation.

Her expertise gives breweries valuable insight into one of the fastest-evolving areas of the drinks industry. Producers entering the competition benefit from having their beers assessed by a buyer who closely follows changing consumer behaviour and understands what drives success within modern retail.

Chris Flavell – Senior Trader, Beer, Morrisons

Also joining this year's judging panel is Chris Flavell, Senior Trader for Beer at Morrisons.

Chris oversees one of the UK's largest beer categories, working with both international and domestic breweries to develop a portfolio that meets consumer demand across mainstream, premium, and craft segments. His responsibilities include product selection, commercial negotiations, promotional planning, and long-term category development.

His experience provides entrants with feedback from someone who understands how beers compete on supermarket shelves, how purchasing decisions are made, and what differentiates successful brands within today's retail landscape.

Judged by the People Who Buy Beer Every Day

The announcement of these first four judges demonstrates the commercial philosophy that has defined the London Beer Competition since its launch. Rather than relying solely on brewing professionals, the competition brings together retail buyers, hospitality operators, distributors, beer specialists, and industry experts who make purchasing decisions every day.

This approach ensures that winning beers have been evaluated not only for brewing excellence but also for their ability to succeed in today's marketplace.

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More Transparency and Greater Value in the 10th Edition

To mark its milestone 10th edition, the London Beer Competition is introducing several enhancements designed to deliver greater value to entrants.

Every beer entered will receive detailed judge feedback, including recommendations on how the product could be improved and practical commercial advice on how it can be better positioned and marketed. For the first time, entrants will also be able to see exactly which judges assessed their products, providing a new level of transparency into the judging process.

These additions build upon the competition's commercial judging model, giving breweries practical insights they can use to refine both their products and their route-to-market strategies.

More Judges to Be Announced

This is only the first announcement of judges for the 10th London Beer Competition. Additional buyers, brewers, hospitality professionals, beer specialists, and industry leaders will be announced in the coming weeks as the judging panel continues to grow ahead of the competition.

Breweries from around the world are now invited to enter the landmark 10th edition and have their beers evaluated by the professionals who influence purchasing decisions across retail, hospitality, and the wider drinks industry.

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