St Austell Brewery’s head brewer, Roger Ryman is celebrating being named the best in the business after being crowned the UK’s Brewer of the Year.

Britain’s drinks industry gathered in Westminster this week (Wednesday July 15) to mark Proud of Pubs week and hear the winners of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling awards.

The main event was the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group Dinner, which saw Roger collect the top title in front of an audience of MPs and industry chiefs from across the country.

The award comes in the same year that St Austell Brewery was crowned the UK’s Regional Brewer of the Year at The Publican Awards 2009.

It is also further national recognition for St Austell Brewery and for Roger, who invented the Brewery’s now flagship Tribute Ale, which has gone on to become one the UK’s Top 10 selling premium cask ales.

Roger said: “Stepping up to collect the award for the Brewer of the Year was a huge honour and I am absolutely thrilled. This year has been an extremely exciting year for me personally and all of us at St Austell Brewery. Consumer demand for our ales just keeps rising which is a fantastic accolade for the Company and for Cornwall.”

James Staughton, Managing Director of St Austell Brewery, said: “This is another major and well deserved accolade for Roger and we’re incredibly proud of what Roger and the brewing team are achieving. Roger’s talent and commitment to excellence has helped establish St Austell Brewery as the UK’s best independent regional brewer.”

St Austell Brewery’s beers have enjoying huge success with highlights in just the last 12 months including:

• Sales of Tribute rising for the eighth successive year and Tribute’s making it into the coveted top ten of the UK’s premium cask ales based on sales volumes in Britain’s pubs
• A national deal with Waitrose for Tribute to be sold in selected larger stores across the country – existing national listings for Tribute with Asda and Sainsbury as well as being sold across the South West in Tesco, Co-op, Spar and Thresher stores
• Admiral’s Ale being voted the best packaged beer in the world at the International Beer Challenge
• Admiral’s Ale securing a national listing with Sainsbury’s, in addition to existing regional listings with Asda and Waitrose.
• St Austell Brewery was selected by Marks and Spencer to brew a new beer – Cornish IPA – to be sold in its stores and the ale has gone on to become the bestselling of its new range of regional beers.