For breweries seeking to stand out in a competitive market, the London Beer Competition is an unparalleled opportunity to showcase their creations. Recognized globally, this prestigious competition goes beyond just taste—it evaluates beers on quality, value for money, and packaging, ensuring winners represent the complete package that resonates with consumers and buyers alike.

Meet the Judges: Industry Titans at the Helm

The competition's credibility lies in its esteemed judging panel, comprised of some of the world’s most respected beer experts. Judges include master brewers, beer sommeliers, and top-level buyers from leading retailers and hospitality venues.

Retail Buyer of the Year 2022 Senior Spirits and Beer Buyer at Harvey Nichols and London Beer Competition Judge.

Their combined expertise ensures that winning beers are assessed not only for technical excellence but also for their market readiness. View the first round of judges here.

Why Enter the London Beer Competition?

1. Global Exposure

Winners are featured across Beverage Trade Network’s extensive media platforms, offering unmatched visibility to international buyers, distributors, and consumers. This can lead to exciting new opportunities, including export partnerships and retail listings.

2. Validation from Industry Leaders

A medal from the London Beer Competition serves as a badge of honor, signaling to consumers and trade professionals that your beer meets high standards of quality and appeal.

3. Enhanced Marketing Opportunities

Award-winning brands leverage their success in promotional campaigns, increasing consumer trust and boosting sales. Packaging awards highlight creativity, appealing to design-conscious buyers.

4. Early Bird Savings

Entering before November 30 allows breweries to save £20 per entry, reducing costs and providing more resources for expanding market strategies.

Special category winners will also get judge's testimonial videos like shown here: Pale Grand Cru XX

Case Studies: Success Stories from Past Winners

1) Pillars Brewery:

London-based Pillars Brewery took home four awards at the 2024 London Beer Competition: Pillars Hop Lager and Pillars Helles won gold awards; Pillars Pilsner and Pillars Icebock 23 were awarded silver.

“We enter competitions to showcase what we can do and with the hope that we can achieve the recognition we feel our products deserve.” The impact on the company of winning the four awards has been very positive: We get a lot of love from our customer base for products, so it is so nice to get support from the beer world through awards too. “We also feel that it helps legitimize and create trust in our products for new customers.” - Pillars Brewery.

2) Jiddler's Tipple

Jiddler's Tipple, founded by Jacob Liddle, won gold at the 2024 London Beer Competition with their 'Sweet As' Pacific IPA. Discover Jacob's journey, insights on the competition, and plans for his eco-friendly, gluten-free craft beer brand.

The impact on winning the award has earned Jacob’s business peer recognition and has helped to raise the profile of his products. His overall impression of the competition was very positive, stating that it was “very good” and that he would definitely enter the competition again. Jacob was impressed with the “high quality judges” and “good feedback”, and that the award is internationally recognised.

3) Toast Brewing

London-based Toast Brewing won a bronze award at this year’s London Beer Competition for their Rise Up Lager, which as their website states is: “A seriously refreshing, Helles-style lager with all English ingredients. Clean, light, and crisp. Crafted with surplus bread, malted barley, and English hops.”

Being based in London it made perfect sense to enter a London-centred competition and the owners are fully behind the judging criteria: "We love that it rates the beers across three categories: quality, value and packaging — so, it has a really holistic approach. And that the judges come from a diverse range of backgrounds and expertise.” The impact of winning awards at the competition is clear to the owners: “It’s always great to win and gain outside endorsement of our beers. “Having the credibility of an award from the LBC really elevates things for us and our customers.

The ease of entering the competition was cited as being a real positive aspect of the LBC and the owners also appreciated that they were not kept waiting for the results. As for future markets, the London-based brewer is popular across the capital, but they’re keen to spread the word of their ethical underpinnings, their commitment to the environment, and their undiluted passion for producing great beers.

4) Beavertown Brewery: From Local to Global Acclaim

Beavertown entered its flagship IPA, Gamma Ray, in the competition and won a Gold Medal for its balance of flavor and innovative packaging. The win caught the attention of international distributors, helping the brand expand into new markets in Europe and the U.S.

5) AxelJack Brewery Triumphs

Image: (L-R) Ian Axelsen and Craig Jackson

Based in South Wales, AxelJack Brewery was awarded a bronze medal for their Welsh Golden Ale at this year’s London Beer Competition. An interview was arranged with the owners of the brewery to gain their feedback and valuable insights about the competition.

“The attraction for us was that the competition attracts entries from breweries across Europe and further afield, unlike other competitions that only take entries from UK breweries, and we wanted to benchmark our beer within a broader range of entries. “In addition, and if [we were] successful we wanted the acknowledgment and prestige associated with an award from an international competition.”

“The bronze medal award from the London Beer Competition supports and enhances the beer's growing popularity among craft beer drinkers and strengthens the product market positioning. “Enabling additional routes to market based on evidential criteria, and a reduction of risk for first-time purchasers.”

Commercial Benefits: Why It Matters to Beer Brands

Winning at the London Beer Competition doesn’t just add a trophy to your shelf; it creates tangible commercial benefits:

1. Attracting Distributors: A medal signals to distributors that your beer has market appeal and commercial viability.

2. Retail Shelf Placement: Supermarkets and specialty stores prioritize award-winning beers in their marketing and displays.

3. Consumer Trust: Shoppers are more likely to try a beer endorsed by industry experts.

4. Trade Show Credibility: Showcasing an award-winning beer at trade fairs opens doors to new partnerships.

London Brewers Alliance and London Beer Competition Special Discount

London Beer Competition supports London Brewers Alliance's members by giving them a special discount. Explore London Brewers Alliance's role in UK beer growth with Gawain Cox. Learn how LBA fosters innovation, assists emerging breweries, and addresses industry challenges. Here’s the interview that London Beer Competition did with the London Brewers Alliance.

The London Brewers Alliance provides invaluable support to breweries navigating the distribution and retail landscape in the UK. While this is less complex than in the US market, the hardest areas for breweries to break through are into the tied pub chains.

Gawain Cox (left), New Chair at London Brewers Alliance (LBA), and Sid Patel (middle), CEO of Beverage Trade Network and London Beer Competition.

Members of the London Brewers Alliance (LBA) can use the discounted link here to enter into the London Beer Competition. There will be a 10% discount applied further to the early deadline at the checkout.

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Enter Today and Save

The Early Bird registration fee of £120 per entry is available until November 30, 2024. Beyond saving on fees, early entrants position themselves for maximum visibility leading up to the competition's judging in March 2025.

By participating in the London Beer Competition, breweries not only gain recognition but also unlock a world of commercial opportunities. Don’t miss the chance to elevate your brand and stand out in the global beer market. Enter today!

Also Read:
Exploring the UK’s Top Beer Distributors
Exploring the Role of the London Brewers Alliance in the UK Beer Scene
Q&A With Sid Patel: CEO of London Competitions and Beverage Trade Network