DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES · 2020-06-16 · investment in people, collaborative relationships with suppliers and customers and best practices shared across the industry. Taste performance

SCOTTISH BEER AWARDS 2020 www.scottishbeerawards.co.uk 1

DEADLINE FOR ENTRIESMONDAY 10TH AUGUST 2020

www.scottishbeerawards.co.uk

http://scottishbeerawards.co.uk

http://www.scottishbeerawards.co.uk


About the Scottish Beer Awards 3

Key Dates 3

Charity Partner 3

Taste Categories 4

Business Categories

CONTENTS

Meet the Judges 9 & 10

How to Enter 11

Terms & Conditions 11

Sponsors 12, 13, 14 & 15

5, 6, 7 & 8



The Scottish Beer Awards supports The BEN, the Benevolent Society of the Licensed Trade of Scotland. The BEN supports people of all ages who have worked in the licensed trade for at least three years full-time with beneficiaries receiving annual financial assistance as well as discretionary grants for emergency situations.

OUR CHARITY PARTNER

As well as financial support, the charity also operates the picturesque BEN Pitlochry Estate on the banks of the River Tay, consisting of 18 bungalows which are rented at subsidised rates for eligible residents.

www.bensoc.org.uk Charity Number: SC005604

ABOUT THE SCOTTISH BEER AWARDS

GOOD LUCK!

Now in its 5th year the Scottish Beer Awards is the national celebration for the business of beer.

The competition supported by ALDI, combines written submissions in 9 business categories and a blind tasting competition.

The business categories invite written entries providing an insight into the business activity and performance of Scotland’s breweries, large and small, in a range of categories covering areas including marketing, sustainability, community contribution and product development.

In the wide-ranging blind tasting competition, Gold, Silver and Bronze awards will be presented to products achieving the highest marks from an independent taste panel consisting of some of the UK’s most experienced leaders from the brewing industry.

With decades of experience in brewing and competitions, our panel is free from commercial influence. Under the guidance of chair, Hilary Jones, the decisions can be highly respected and trusted as we celebrate all that is brilliant about brewing in Scotland.

KEY DATES 2020

Deadline for Written Entries Monday 10th August 2020

Product Delivery for Taste Entries Wednesday 19th, Thursday 20th & Friday 21st August 2020

Awards Presentation Thursday 14th October 2020, Edinburgh Corn Exchange


http://www.bensoc.org.uk


In order to qualify for entry into the taste categories, at least one written business entry must also be submitted.

TASTE CATEGORIES

Entries are invited in the 16 categories below.

In each category, the top three products will be presented with Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals.

BEST PALE ALEBEST LAGER BEST IPA

BEST BRITISH STYLE ALE

BEST SOUR BEER BEST FRUIT FORWARD

BEST BARREL AGED BEER

BEST SESSION BEER

BEST AMPLIFIED BEER

BEST AMBER OR DARK ALE

BEST STOUT

BEST PORTER

BEST JUICY OR HAZY BEER

BEST SPECIALITY BEER

BEST LOW ORNO ALCOHOL BEER

(UP TO 3% ABV)

BEST PILSNER

NEW



BUSINESS CATEGORIES

SCOTTISH BREWERY OF THE YEAR

The ultimate award in the competition, the Scottish Brewery of the Year award will be presented to a brewery that has demonstrated an outstanding year of business.

The judging panel will take into consideration; product quality, contribution to the community, sustainable practices, investment in people, collaborative relationships with suppliers and customers and best practices shared across the industry.

Taste performance of entered beers will also be considered when judging this category.

Criteria:

• Describe the key achievements of the brewery in the last 12 months

• Give information on distribution channels and overall sales success in the last 12 months

• Describe your approach to staff development and training

• Describe your approach to ensure and maintain product quality

• Describe any initiatives undertaken in the last 12 months. For example, in the community, sustainable practices or collaborative partnerships

• Provide an overview of financial results from the last 12 months

This award will recognise an outstanding individual who can demonstrate exceptional ability, passion and enthusiasm in their brewing career over the last 12 months.

Judges will be looking for someone who has directly impacted a brewing business through product development and the launch of new successful products.

Entrants should be nominated by their manager or management team.

Criteria:

• Describe the individual nominated and give details of their brewing career

• What have been the individual’s key highlights in the last 12 months?

• What has the individual done to display new thinking, creativity and flair in product development?

• What impact has the individual had on the business overall?

BREWER OF THE YEAR



BUSINESS CATEGORIES

EXCELLENCE IN BRANDING

This category will recognise a brand with a creative edge that is implemented throughout the business including in the product creation, packaging, staff training and marketing and communications plans.

Criteria:

• Describe the brand and give details of its vision, mission and core values

• How was the brand created and brought to life?

• How is the brand reflected in the product packaging?

• How do you communicate your brand to the consumer?

This award will recognise the efforts of a brewery to invest in new product development by delivering a programme of new and exciting beer launches in the last 12months.

Criteria:

• Describe each of the new beers created in in the last 12 months and explain their concept and development including flavour profile and branding

• How have consumer trends been considered in the development of the new products?

• How have the new products been taken to market?

• Who makes up the team that is behind the products?

• Describe the sales success of the products since their launch

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT TEAM OF THE YEAR

EXCELLENCE IN SUSTAINABILITY

This award will recognise a brewery’s efforts to promote sustainable business practices.

Criteria:

• What are the processes used by the business in the last 12 months and how are they sustainable?

• What has been the impact of the sustainable processes on the business over the last 12 months?

• Describe your approaches to use of raw materials, ingredients, brewing techniques, sales and distribution processes and energy efficiency

• Describe the social or environmental impact of the sustainable practices



BUSINESS CATEGORIES

BEST BEER EVENT

This award will recognise the efforts of an event organiser, brewery or company for the creation of an event or festival that best showcases Scottish beer and contributes to increased visibility of Scottish beers to consumers.

Criteria:

• Provide a description of the event

• How was the event concept created?

• What sales and marketing activity is carried out to promote the event?

• Detail the revenues generated by the event, for example, ticket sales, sponsorship or product sales

• Give examples of publicity, reviews and testimonials received from customers and partners in relation to the event

This award will be presented to an exciting venue which has delivered new revenue streams for a brewing business.

Criteria:

• Describe the visitor experience offered

• What have been the key business highlights in the last 12 months?

• What sales and marketing activity is carried out to promote the destination?

• Outline visitor numbers and revenues generated in the last 12 months

• Give examples of publicity, reviews and customer testimonials received in the last 12 months

BEST BEER DESTINATION

SALES TEAM OF THE YEAR

This award will recognise a person or sales team that can demonstrate excellence over the last 12 months.

The judges will be looking for details on how the team or person has creatively targeted new markets for the brewery including their ability to overcome challenges and creatively pursue new opportunities.

Criteria:

• Describe the sales strategy for the brewery’s target markets

• Who makes up the sales team?

• Detail the sales team’s highlights in the last 12 months

• How has the team reacted to challenges and opportunities in the last 12 months

• Provide details of sales success over the last 12 months



BUSINESS CATEGORIES

This award will recognise the efforts of a pub or bar making a significant effort to stock, sell and promote Scottish beers leading to a successfully engaged customer base.

Criteria:

• Describe the key activities carried out by the bar in the last 12 months

• Describe the range of Scottish beers stocked in the bar

• Describe the sales and marketing activity carried out including special offers, events and promotions

• Has been there any new investment in the bar in the last 12 months?

• Describe your approach to staff development and training

• Outline the sales success of the bar in the last 12 months

BEST BEER BAR



JUDGES

TIM BLADESTaste Judge

CHRISTIE CLINTONTaste Judge

RUTH EVANSBusiness Judge

ROB GILMOURTaste Judge

DAVID HANNAH Taste Judge

IAN HEROKBusiness Judge

ADAM HARDIEBusiness Judge

COLIN JOHNSTON Business & Taste Judge

IAIN DAVIES Taste Judge

ANDREW LEY Business Judge

ROB MACKAY Taste Judge

DR DAWN MASKELL Business & Taste Judge

DEB KENNEDY Business Judge

HILARY JONES Chair of the Judging Panel

FIONA BAINTaste Judge

FERGUS CLARK Taste Judge

NIALL KENNEDY Taste Judge

ISLA MERCER Taste Judge

KEITH LUGTON Taste Judge

CHRISTOPHER MILLER Business Judge



SEAN MURPHY Taste Judge

GEOFF PALMER Business Judge

DAVID REID Business Judge

RACHEL SUTHERLAND Taste Judge

DAN UNWIN Business Judge

GRAEME WALKER Taste Judge

ALI STEWART Business Judge

PETE SHERRY Taste Judge

MARC WATSON Taste Judge

DOMINIC P. WRIGHT Taste Judge

CAROLINE WENGEL Taste Judge

SHANNON SHERRY Taste Judge



HOW TO ENTER THE SCOTTISH BEER AWARDS

BEFORE ENTERING

• All entrants must register as a user at www.scottishbeerawards.co.uk

• All entries are completed and submitted online using the online entry form.

• A one-off registration fee of £25 will be charged per brewery or company and allows you to enter as many business categories as you wish. A separate form will be required for each entry. The registration fee also allows one beer to be entered into the taste categories, free of charge. Additional beers may be entered at £10 per beer.

• A separate form will be required for each entry.

• You must enter at least one business category to qualify for the taste competition.

• Please read our terms and conditions of entry.

THE ENTRY PROCESS

• Please include a summary statement that can be used by the Scottish Beer Awards for PR purposes to promote the entry, as indicated in the entry form.

• Please use appendices for relevant supporting material and evidence such as marketing materials, statistics or financial reports.

• All entries must include company logo in high resolution JPEG, PNG and EPS formats. Please attach to the entry as indicated.

• A maximum of 4 high resolution images can be included with your entry, where appropriate.

• All taste entries must include a clear pack shot image of the product with a white or transparent background

• All accompanying images and appendices must be provided using a Dropbox link which must contain all assets and information to be considered with the entry. Please enter the link in the relevant section of the entry form.

• To create a Dropbox Account, please follow the instructions here.

• The closing date for business awards is Monday 10th August 2020. No late submissions will be accepted.

PRODUCT DELIVERY

• Please deliver 3600ml-4000ml of each entered beer to the Edinburgh Corn Exchange on Wednesday 19th, Thursday 20th & Friday 21st August 2020, during the hours of 9.00am and 5.00pm. An event manager will meet you and confirm receipt.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

• Entered beers must be brewed in Scotland.

• Entered breweries must be based in Scotland and in possession of an HMRC brewing license.

• Entered beer must be commercially available, on or off trade, between 1st March 2020 and 31st December 2020.

• Breweries in planning, home-brewers and other breweries not meeting these criteria are not eligible and will not be considered.

• Judges may choose to carry out site visits at their own discretion.

• The judges reserve the right to move entries into other categories, to remove categories or create new awards

• The judges’ decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into

• By entering the Scottish Beer Awards you give permission for the images included in your submission to be used at the awards ceremony and in the awards marketing materials

• The information contained in each entry is kept strictly private and confidential unless approval from the entering company is received. All entries must include a summary statement that can be used by the Scottish Beer Awards or KDMedia for PR purposes to promote the entry, as indicated in the entry form

• Late submissions will not be considered

• All products registered in the competition by deadline must be delivered on time and during the delivery dates announced.

• Any registered product arriving late will be subject to an administration fee of £50 per product.

• Any product which is delivered and not registered in advance by the deadline will be subject to an administration fee of £50 per product.

• The operations team reserve the right to refuse late product entries if the volume received disrupts the judging process.

• Products will not be returned following delivery.

• Following the completion of judging, any surplus unopened product will be retained and donated to charity.

PLEASE VISIT: WWW.SCOTTISHBEERAWARDS.CO.UK

All queries should be directed to KDMedia on 0131 337 6232 or by email to [email protected]

The Scottish Beer Awards is owned and operated by KDMedia Ltd registered in Scotland SC244168





mailto:kirsten%40kdmedia.co.uk?subject=


ALDI’s 91 stores across Scotland stock some of the finest and best value locally-sourced food and drink. Proud to work with over 90 local suppliers and stock more than 450 Scottish products. Aldi stores in Scotland boast a range that is at least 30% Scottish.

Last year marked the 25th anniversary of Aldi opening its first store in Scotland and 10 years since the creation of its dedicated Scottish Buying department.

In May 2019, Aldi was crowned Scottish Sourcing Business of the Year at the Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards, demonstrating the supermarket’s commitment to its Scottish suppliers and to offering the finest quality, locally sourced produce at everyday low prices.

Since 2012, ALDI has run numerous in-store Scottish Beer Festivals to showcase the finest craft beers from breweries across Scotland. ALDI is the proud headline sponsor for the Scottish Beer Awards again in 2020, further strengthening our commitment and enthusiasm for local tastes and brewing techniques.

ALDI’s 91 stores across Scotland stock some of the finest and best value locally-sourced food and drink. Proud to work with over 90 local suppliers and stock more than 450 Scottish products. Aldi stores in Scotland boast a range that is at least 30% Scottish.

Last year marked the 25th anniversary of Aldi opening its first store in Scotland and 10 years since the creation of its dedicated Scottish Buying department.

In May 2019, Aldi was crowned Scottish Sourcing Business of the Year at the Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards, demonstrating the supermarket’s commitment to its Scottish suppliers and to offering the finest quality, locally sourced produce at everyday low prices.

Since 2012, ALDI has run numerous in-store Scottish Beer Festivals to showcase the finest craft beers from breweries across Scotland. ALDI is the proud headline sponsor for the Scottish Beer Awards again in 2020, further strengthening our commitment and enthusiasm for local tastes and brewing techniques.

Cara Technology serves drinks production companies in more than 170 countries. We maintain the largest and most historic collection of production brewing yeasts in the world - more than 850 strains. For more than a decade we have developed and manufactured a range of innovative reference flavour standards which have been used to train more than 20,000 professional tasters in breweries, water utilities, soft drinks companies and food manufacturers. We run performance assessment schemes for tasters which provide objective assessment of taster competence. We also develop, host and support web-based sensory software which is used by hundreds of breweries all over the world.

Bairds Malt founded Brewers Select as a continued commitment to the brewing and distilling industry. We recognised the needs of the growing craft sector for a ‘one-stop-shop’ supplier of quality ingredients and equipment.

At Brewers Select we pride ourselves on delivering quality products and a customer service to match. Our family has grown organically over the last 4 years and we can boast 5 Account Managers covering every corner of the UK. We are here to inspire and tempt you, challenge your brewing creativity, celebrate your expertise but most of all, to help you brew some cracking beers.

We’re proud to support the Scottish Beer Awards as an integral part of Bairds Malt – Scotland’s oldest maltster and we’re proud of our Scottish roots.

SPONSORS



SPONSORS

Close Brothers Brewery Rentals are experienced and respected industry specialists offering tailored solutions for kegs, casks and drinks equipment to brewers, cider makers and distillers.

Our flagship offering is keg and cask rental and we operate a fleet of over two million containers across the UK, Ireland and Germany.

Established in 2007, CBBR provides a wide range of services in addition to container rental including fee per fill containers – ECasks & EKegs, repair and refurbishment and equipment finance. By using RFID (Radio-frequency identification) tags on our containers we can considerably reduce handling times and provide clarity on stock position.

Close Brothers Brewery Rentals also provides financial solutions for equipment used within the drinks industry in the UK. We are familiar with the equipment commonly used and have good relationships with many of the main suppliers. In addition to production equipment for both breweries and distilleries, we are also now able to offer funding for wooden spirit casks.

Clever Kegs, great beer, happy drinkers.

A keg rental business, innovative tech company, and above all a friend to the industry, Kegstar is the new kid on the block whose aim is simple: make brewing good beer easy.

As the craft beer and cider scene continues to grow, Kegstar’s team of industry experts are simplifying the entire keg value chain with their revolutionary technology. Each individual stainless steel Keg and Cask that Kegstar rents out, is etched with it’s own 2D matrix code and RFID tag. Using app enabled technology, each keg is scanned using a smart device, allowing the container to be tracked through the supply chain to the venue, creating valuable data insights along the way.

Absolutley everything is supported by Kegstar’s iOS and android technology, meaning all the customer has to do is fill, deliver, scan, repeat. When the time comes for empty kegs to be collected, venue staff can simply download the free Kegstar app and scan the keg to request a collection. Alternatively, venues can call, email, tweet or even Instagram Kegstar to let them know they have empties to be picked up; no platform is out of reach for this inventive keg company.

At Muntons we export our ranges of malts and ingredients to markets all over the world and are proud to work alongside brewers and distillers to develop custom malts to meet their specific needs. It is in our bespoke new product development and innovation centre, our Centre for Excellence, where the action takes place. Housing a one hectolitre brewery, with blending, preparation and fermentation facilities, aided by team of New Product Development specialists, our customers can trail brew their creations before committing to full scale production.

At a time where innovation and new product development is a key driver in any business, we are very excited to be sponsoring the ever-growing product development category and look forward to tasting these new, innovative products.



Founded in 1774, Rankin is the UK’s local supplier of quality closures for the Beers, Wines, Spirits and Foods packaging industries.

Through the design and performance of our products, we help premiumise aspiring Brands and add value to local tastes & flavours.

Our offer extends from natural cork, to micro agglomerate, synthetic or Nature, to T Top Stoppers, wire hoods, screw caps, crown caps, cask bungs, keg caps, capsules In Tin, Polylaminate, PVC & PET and to heatshrink tamper evident sleeves.

Rankin is the custodian of 4,500 acres of cork forestry in Portugal; managing cork supply from `acorn to bottle’.

We are delighted to support the Scottish Beer Awards and we look forward to playing our part in the ongoing development and success of our `local’ beer industry.

Founded in 1774, Rankin is the UK’s local supplier of quality closures for the Beers, Wines, Spirits and Foods packaging industries.

Through the design and performance of our products, we help premiumise aspiring Brands and add value to local tastes & flavours.

Our offer extends from natural cork, to micro agglomerate, synthetic or Nature, to T Top Stoppers, wire hoods, screw caps, crown caps, cask bungs, keg caps, capsules In Tin, Polylaminate, PVC & PET and to heatshrink tamper evident sleeves.

Rankin is the custodian of 4,500 acres of cork forestry in Portugal; managing cork supply from `acorn to bottle’.

We are delighted to support the Scottish Beer Awards and we look forward to playing our part in the ongoing development and success of our `local’ beer industry.

Scotland’s brewing industry is flourishing. There are more than 125 operating breweries throughout the country with an estimated £500m annual turnover, supporting over 8,000 jobs. With new breweries, new brands and innovative products launching every year, the public appetite for Scottish beer shows no sign of slowing down. The Brewers Association of Scotland (TBAS) was set up by brewers for brewers to help to capitalise on this phenomenal growth.

TBAS exists to grow the value and reputation of the Scottish brewing industry. Our vision is to make Scotland known throughout the world for its beer and its brewing industry. We work together to create opportunities which benefit the brewing sector and our individual members. Run with the support of Scotland Food & Drink, our members have access to unique business building benefits, capability building opportunities and market development programmes both in the UK and in key global markets.

To join TBAS contact Caroline Wengel, Business Development Manager on 0131 287 0470

SPONSORS



Wolffe is a boutique brand design and innovation agency that was founded by Andrew Wolffe in 1998.

We help create vivid, memorable brand personalities by way of visual identity and style, and distinctive tone of voice. But we go further; by way of immersive, exploratory innovation workshops and dynamic tools, we help create new brand offerings, whether they be initiatives, exhibits, products, services or portfolios. We deliver: strategy services; brand design and creative services; and innovation and product design.

All our clients benefit from our unstinting desire to do better; our tried and tested innovation techniques, and our well informed brand thinking, our intelligent creative solutions and strong service ethic.

We are a sophisticated consultancy dedicated to maximising a brand’s potential. We’re pioneering in our 360 degree approach. We sail, silver shining, in an azure blue ocean. Come on board and transform your brand.

The sky’s the limit.

Get in touch to find out how we can help your business flourish www.wolffedesign.com

SPONSORS


DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES · 2020-06-16 · investment in people, collaborative relationships with suppliers and customers and best practices shared across the industry. Taste performance

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