UTOPIAN Brewing, based near Crediton, is delighted to hear that head brewer Jeremy Swainson, has been shortlisted for the British Guild of Beer writers, Brewer of the Year Award, sponsored by SIBA.

A record number of entries has been whittled down to five outstanding brewers and is now in the hands of the Guild members to choose the winner.

On hearing the news co-founder and MD of Utopian, Richard Archer said: “From our first brew day it was clear that Jeremy not only had great technical knowledge but also a real passion for both quality and for brewing great beers.”

The nominating Guild member said of Jeremy: “(His) beers are perfection and showcase malt so exquisitely.  He has made many ale drinkers (including me) fall in love with lager.

“He displays excellence at brewing beers from the family of lager, keeping the core range of Lager, Pilsner, Unfiltered Lager and Dark Lager consistent and essential drinking in the pub; also bear in mind that the brewery’s ethos is about using British ingredients, and the beers still bear the stamp of authentic lagered beers.”

Richard Archer went on to say: “As well as brewing a range of outstanding beers in our first 18 months of operation, Jeremy has also fully embraced our sustainability ambitions and built an outstanding team in the brewhouse who share both his passion and enthusiasm.

"This is very well deserved recognition for his outstanding work and we are very lucky to have him. The whole team are delighted for him. He is already a winner in our eyes although, of course, we hope he can go all the way.”

The full shortlist is made up of five contenders from breweries across the UK.  James Clarke, Hook Norton;  Matt Hayes, Budweiser Brewing UK; Janine Shorrock, Ashover Brewery; Oli Fozzard, Roosters; Jeremy Swainson, Utopian Brewing.

ABOUT UTOPIAN BREWING

Based in rural Mid Devon Utopian says it is bringing a fresh approach to the independent brewery scene, introducing a range of accessible and flavoursome lagers – brewed entirely with only British grown ingredients, in a brewery ultimately powered by sustainable resources.

Since its launch in March 2019 Utopian now brew a core range of four lagers alongside a number of seasonal specials and collaborations.

In the summer of 2020 it was the only brewery to win two national awards in the first Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) Digital Beer Awards and it now sells to more than 100 outlets in the South West and increasingly nationally.  Brewing with only British ingredients considerably reduces food miles, but the brewery has a much larger commitment to sustainability.

All spent grain is used as animal feed and the brewery has invested in its own Nitrogen generator which is used extensively in place of Carbon Di-oxide (Co2).

The natural carbonation process used during fermentation, also significantly reduces Co2 requirements. All packaging is 100 per cent recyclable with no single-use plastics and merchandise is all made from organic free trade cotton.