Shropshire brewery celebrating quadruple success at national awards

The Salopian Brewery, based in Hadnall, won two gold medals at the Society of Independent Brewers Awards (SIBA).

The brewery won cask pale ale at the BeerX event in Liverpool, thanks to its brew Paper Planes.

And the brewery's Golden Thread was named best cask British bitter.

It also won two bronze medals in the Keg Pale Ale category and overall champion of the Cask Beer Awards.

Salopian Brewery's managing director Trevor Hourican said: "It's really humbling that the work we have put in has been recognised in this way.

"It's testament to all the hard work of the brewing team and the care and attention to detail they have put in.

"It's been recognised by our peers and if they think it's good, it makes it even more special."

Judged by brewers and industry experts and organised by the Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA) at their flagship event in Liverpool, the awards run across a huge range of beer style categories in cask, craft keg, bottle and can.

The Awards at BeerX UK are the trade association’s national finals and in order to earn a place at the competition brewers must first win at their regional competition – making these overall champions very much the ‘best of the best’ when it comes to British independent craft beer.

SIBA Competitions Chair Anneli Baxter, who helped run the huge judging, said: “It is a pleasure to see so many superb beers from independent breweries of all sizes taking home Golds in this year’s awards.

"It is incredibly tough to win a category Gold at a regional level, so to then go on and be named the very best in the whole of the UK at the national awards is a massive achievement that these brewers should be hugely proud of. Well done to all of the winners."

This year was the event’s biggest ever, attracting over 3,000 delegates to a packed conference of talks, seminars, tasting sessions, and of course the beer awards which name the very best of the best in the independent beer industry.