The London Beer Competition is pleased to announce that Tom Brady, Senior Buyer at Majestic Wine, will join the judging panel for its landmark 10th edition.

Tom spent 18 years working in the on-trade across a remarkably diverse range of businesses. His experience spans some of the world’s top 10 cocktail bars, Rosette-awarded restaurants, Parisian dive bars, backpacker hostels and neighbourhood pubs.

This extensive hospitality background has given him a practical understanding of how drinks are selected, presented, recommended and enjoyed across different venues and consumer occasions. It also allows him to evaluate products from both a buyer’s perspective and that of the operators who ultimately sell them.

From the On-Trade to Drinks Buying

In 2020, Tom moved into retail and became the spirits buyer for the Oxford Wine Company. This transition allowed him to combine his front-line hospitality experience with the commercial disciplines of drinks buying, range development, pricing and product positioning.

Between 2020 and 2025, Tom completed the WSET Level 3 Award in Spirits and the WSET Diploma in Wines. He also became a Certified Sherry Educator, further strengthening his technical and category expertise.

Alongside his buying career, Tom founded and ran several boutique drinks festivals, including the Oxford Whisky Show, Oxford Rum Show and Oxford Sparkling Wine Show. These events brought producers, brands, industry professionals and consumers together, giving him further insight into drinks education, brand communication and consumer engagement.

In April 2025, Tom joined Majestic Wine’s award-winning buying department. As Senior Buyer, he is responsible for all of the retailer’s non-wine products, including its beer and spirits portfolio.

His role gives him direct insight into the products, styles, price points and packaging formats that appeal to UK consumers. It also requires him to consider the complete commercial proposition behind every product—from liquid quality and pricing to positioning, packaging and customer demand.

This combination of on-trade experience, retail buying responsibility, drinks education and consumer knowledge makes his perspective especially valuable to breweries entering the London Beer Competition.

Beers Judged for Quality, Value and Packaging

The London Beer Competition is designed to recognise beers that combine technical excellence with genuine commercial potential.

Every beer is evaluated on three important criteria:

- Quality
- Value
- Packaging

Unlike competitions that judge beer solely on taste, the London Beer Competition considers how successfully a product is likely to perform in the marketplace. Judges assess whether the beer delivers at its price point, whether its packaging effectively communicates its positioning, and whether consumers would be encouraged to purchase it.

As a senior buyer responsible for Majestic Wine’s non-wine portfolio, Tom understands the complete buying decision. His judging perspective will help ensure that entries are evaluated not only as well-made beers but also as products competing for space in the UK market.

A Powerful Panel of UK Beer Buyers

Tom Brady joins an impressive and growing panel of judges already confirmed for the London Beer Competition’s landmark 10th edition, including:

- Benedict Sedgwick — Main Beer Buyer and Beer Quality & Communications Specialist at Fuller, Smith & Turner

- Harry Barker CMgr — Senior Trader for Craft Beer, Ales and Stout at Morrisons

- Chris Flavell — Senior Trader for Beer at Morrisons

- Jourdan Gabbini — Buyer for Beer and Cider at Waitrose & Partners

- Helena Copeland — Buyer for Low & No Beer and Ready-to-Drink at Ocado Retail

Together, these judges represent a broad cross-section of the UK beer industry, spanning national retail, specialist drinks retail, premium pub groups, hospitality, category management and drinks education.

Their combined experience ensures that every beer is evaluated for its quality, commercial appeal, value proposition and ability to connect with today’s buyers and consumers.

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Enter the 10th Edition of the London Beer Competition

Domestic and international breweries are invited to enter the 2027 London Beer Competition and put their beers in front of influential UK retail buyers, pub buyers, category managers and beer professionals.

For 2027, entrants will receive an expanded score breakdown, constructive feedback, guidance on how to improve, recommendations on how to market and sell their products, greater judge transparency and a Buyer Market Intelligence Report.

Winning a London Beer Competition medal demonstrates more than brewing excellence. It shows that a beer has been assessed for its quality, value, packaging and potential to succeed in one of the world’s most important drinks markets.

The 2027 judging will take place in London on March 23, 2027, with the winners announced on April 22, 2027.

Enter your beers now and get them evaluated by influential drinks buyers such as Tom Brady of Majestic Wine.

Also Read:
Morrisons, Waitrose, Ocado and Fuller’s Buyers Join Our 10th Edition
More Feedback and Transparency For Entrants At The London Beer Competition
London Beer Competition Launches Exclusive Market Intelligence Report For Entrants