The recently-opened National Brewery Center in Burton-on-Trent will host the 2011 Brewing Industry International Awards. That will be followed immediately by a new Festival of Beer showcasing many of the participating beers.
The National Brewery Center, which opened in May this year, was an “obvious candidate†to host the competition, said Ruth Evans, chief executive of Brewing Technology Services, organizers of the Brewing Awards. She said, “We are delighted to be holding the 2011 Awards at this new and very appropriate venue which can accommodate not only the competition but the Festival of Beer. Brewers taking part in the awards now have an opportunity to promote their beer to consumers, which hasn’t been a feature of previous competitions and we’re sure will lead to more entries from brewers and brand owners around the globe.â€
Entries to the competition are now open on the Brewing Awards website. Deadline to enter is Dec. 31.
The Brewing Awards judging takes place Feb. 9-11, with bronze, silver and gold class winners announced in Burton on the last day. The category winners – selected from the gold winners for each class – will be revealed at a separate awards ceremony April 12 at the BFBi annual lunch at London Guildhall.