The London Beer Competition has unveiled the latest group of judges confirmed for its landmark 10th edition. The 2027 panel already includes senior retail buyers, on-trade operators, specialist beer buyers and drinks procurement professionals who influence which beers are listed, promoted and served across the UK.

The confirmed judges are:

Mitch Adams — Director of Operations and Beer Buyer at Craft Locals Ltd

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

Freddie Cobb — Head of Drinks at Vagabond

Helena Copeland — Buyer for Low & No Beers and Ready to Drink at Ocado

Chris Flavell — Senior Trader, Beer at Morrisons

Jourdan Gabbini — Buyer, Beer & Cider at Waitrose & Partners

Benedict Sedgwick — Buying Manager and Drinks Procurement at Fuller, Smith & Turner

Benjamin Selby — Specials Beer Buyer at Cave Direct

As the competition celebrates its tenth year, the calibre and diversity of the judging panel reflect the London Beer Competition’s continued focus on commercial success.

Unlike competitions that assess technical brewing excellence alone, the London Beer Competition evaluates beers on Quality, Value and Packaging. Quality receives the greatest weighting, while Value and Packaging help judges determine whether a beer is positioned to appeal to consumers and succeed in the market.

Mitch Adams — Director of Operations and Beer Buyer, Craft Locals Ltd

Mitch Adams joins the 2027 judging panel as Director of Operations and Beer Buyer at Craft Locals Ltd.

Craft Locals is a growing group of people-focused pubs dedicated to serving exceptional food, well-kept cask ale and memorable guest experiences. In his role, Mitch combines responsibility for operational performance with the selection of beers suited to the group’s venues and customers.

His experience brings an important pub-operator perspective to the judging process. Mitch understands that a successful beer must deliver more than flavour alone: it must suit the venue, complement the wider drinks offer, appeal to guests and perform consistently in a busy hospitality environment.

For breweries targeting the UK on-trade, his perspective will help identify beers with genuine potential for pubs and hospitality groups.

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

Harry Barker CMgr returns to the judging panel as Senior Trader for Craft Beer, Ales & Stout at Morrisons, one of the UK’s largest supermarket chains.

Harry is responsible for developing and managing Morrisons’ craft beer, ale and stout categories. His role covers product selection, supplier relationships, pricing, promotional activity and long-term category growth.

This gives him direct insight into changing consumer preferences, emerging beer styles and the commercial factors that determine which beers earn valuable supermarket shelf space.

For breweries entering the London Beer Competition, Harry brings the perspective of a buyer who considers not only how a beer tastes, but also how effectively it is positioned to compete in a demanding retail environment.

Freddie Cobb — Head of Drinks, Vagabond

Freddie Cobb joins the judging panel as Head of Drinks at Vagabond.

Operating within the on-trade, Freddie brings experience in building drinks ranges that must attract customers, complement the venue experience and deliver commercially. His role requires an understanding of quality, range development, consumer preferences and the practical considerations that influence whether a product will succeed in hospitality.

His participation adds an important on-trade dimension to the judging panel. Breweries will have their products assessed by a drinks professional who understands how beer must perform when presented directly to consumers in a competitive venue environment.

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

Helena Copeland joins the panel as 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, innovative products and fast-growing consumer trends.

Helena is responsible for sourcing and developing the retailer’s Low & No Beer and RTD categories—segments that continue to attract interest as consumers look for greater moderation, convenience and choice.

Her expertise gives breweries insight into one of the drinks industry’s fastest-evolving areas. She understands how consumer behaviour is changing and what products need to deliver to stand out within a modern online retail environment.

Chris Flavell — Senior Trader, Beer, Morrisons

Chris Flavell joins the 2027 judging panel as Senior Trader for Beer at Morrisons.

Chris works across one of the UK’s most significant supermarket beer categories, where products must compete across mainstream, premium, imported, craft and emerging segments.

His responsibilities include product selection, commercial negotiations, promotional planning and long-term category development. This provides him with a detailed understanding of how buying decisions are made, how beer brands compete for visibility and what differentiates successful products on the supermarket shelf.

Entrants will benefit from the perspective of an experienced retail decision-maker who understands both consumer expectations and the commercial realities facing breweries seeking national distribution.

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

Jourdan Gabbini joins the panel as 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 UK consumers.

Jourdan manages beer and cider purchasing across the retailer, identifying products that combine quality, innovation, value and strong consumer appeal.

Her experience 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 retailers.

Benedict Sedgwick — Buying Manager and Drinks Procurement, Fuller, Smith & Turner

Benedict Sedgwick joins the judging panel as Buying Manager and Drinks Procurement at Fuller, Smith & Turner.

Fuller’s operates an extensive estate of pubs and hotels, giving Benedict a valuable multi-site on-trade perspective. Drinks procurement across a large hospitality business requires products to deliver on quality, consumer relevance, commercial performance and operational consistency.

His experience will help assess whether a beer can succeed not only as an individual product, but also as part of a wider drinks programme across multiple hospitality venues.

For breweries seeking listings within pub groups, hotels and other multi-site operators, Benedict brings highly relevant buying and procurement expertise to the competition.

Benjamin Selby — Specials Beer Buyer, Cave Direct

Benjamin Selby joins the 10th-edition panel as Specials Beer Buyer at Cave Direct.

Cave Direct is a specialist beer importer and distributor with deep connections across the UK independent retail and on-trade sectors. Benjamin’s role involves identifying distinctive beers and evaluating their suitability for customers looking to offer interesting and differentiated selections.

He brings specialist beer knowledge and an understanding of what allows a product to stand out in a market filled with local, imported and craft options.

His involvement ensures that entrants are also assessed from the perspective of a specialist buyer who understands beer discovery, distribution and the needs of independent hospitality and retail customers.

Judged by the People Who Buy and Sell Beer Every Day

The eight confirmed judges demonstrate the commercial philosophy that has defined the London Beer Competition since its launch.

The panel brings together buyers and decision-makers from several important routes to market:

- National supermarkets
- Online grocery retail
- Pub groups and hospitality operators
- Specialist beer importers and distributors
- Premium on-trade venues
- Low and no-alcohol categories

This breadth of experience ensures that winning beers are assessed not only for brewing quality, but also for their value, presentation, positioning and ability to succeed within their intended market.

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More Transparency and Greater Value for the 10th Edition

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

Every beer entered will receive expanded judge feedback, including recommendations on how the product could be improved and practical advice on how it could be better positioned, marketed and sold.

Entrants will also be able to see which judges assessed their products, introducing a new level of transparency to the judging process.

These additions build upon the competition’s buyer-led judging model, giving breweries practical insights they can use to strengthen their products and route-to-market strategies—whether or not they receive a medal.

More Judges to Be Announced

These are the first eight professionals confirmed for the 10th edition of the London Beer Competition. More retail buyers, hospitality professionals, specialist beer buyers and drinks industry leaders will be announced as the judging panel continues to grow.

Judging will take place in London on March 23, 2027, with the winners scheduled to be announced on April 22, 2027.

Breweries from around the world are now invited to enter and have their beers evaluated by the professionals who influence purchasing decisions across UK retail, hospitality and specialist beer distribution.

Meet the 2027 London Beer Competition judges

Also Read:
Fuller's Beer Expert Benedict Sedgwick Joins The London Beer Competition As A Judge
More Feedback and Transparency For Entrants At The London Beer Competition