The British Bottlers’ Institute held their Annual Gala Awards Dinner at the Vintners Livery Hall in the City of London on November 20th. The event is held to celebrate the Bottling and Packaging Industry achievements and included the presentation of awards to the winners of this year’s BBI Ales, Lagers, Ciders and English and Welsh Wines competition, the judging of which had taken place in September.

The competition is open to all UK and Foreign Producers, Bottlers and Canners of Ales, Lagers, Ciders, F.A.B.’s and English & Welsh Wines. It has been held since 1961 and alternates annually between Alcoholic Beverages and Soft Drinks. The competition is judged by a panel of experts during an anonymous, independent blind tasting and only the names of winning competitors is published after the event.

Gold Medals and Certificates are awarded for the outstanding products in each class of the competition. Silver Medals and Certificates awarded to high attainers in each of the classes. Diplomas of excellence are awarded for other especially meritorious products in each class.

Medals and Certificates were presented by Colin Barker the National Chairman and John Yates General Secretary of the BBI and all recipients were congratulated on their high standards and achievements.

Our congratulations are given to all winners of this year’s competition and our thanks are due to all the competition entrants.

The full list of award winners is as follows:

BBI COMPETITION FOR ALES, LAGERS, CIDERS, ENGLISH & WELSH WINES 2006

CLASS A – ALES 1.0 – 3.9%

GOLD. Greene King. IPA

CLASS B – ALES 4.0 – 4.9%

GOLD. George Bateman & Son Ltd. Triple XB

GOLD. Timothy Taylor & Co Ltd. Landlord Pale Ale

SILVER. The Chiltern Brewery. John Hampden’s Ale

SILVER. Shepherd Neame. Late Red

DIPLOMA. Caledonian Brewing Company Ltd. Caledonian 80/-

DIPLOMA. Caledonian Brewing Company Ltd. Deuchars IPA

DIPLOMA. Hall & Woodhouse. First Gold

DIPLOMA. Shepherd Neame. Whitstable Bay Organic Ale

CLASS C – ALES 5.0 – 5.9%

GOLD. The Chiltern Brewery. 300’s Old Ale

SILVER. Greene King. IPA Export Strength

DIPLOMA. Greene King. Beer to Dine For

DIPLOMA. Greene King. Old Speckled Hen

CLASS D – ALES 6.0 – 7.4%

GOLD. Shepherd Neame. 1698 Bottle Conditioned Ale

SILVER. Greene King. Hens Tooth

SILVER. Greene King. Strong Suffolk

DIPLOMA. The Chiltern Brewery. Lord Lieutenants Porter

CLASS E – ALES 7.5% +

SILVER. Hogs Back Brewery. Wobble in a Bottle

CLASS G – LAGERS 4.5 -5.4%

SILVER. Shepherd Neame. Sunlik

CLASS J – CIDERS 4.5 – 5.4%

SILVER. The Gaymer Cider Company. Gaymers Cider

SILVER. Merrydown PLC. Merrydown Gold

CLASS K – CIDERS 5.5% +

DIPLOMA. Aspall. Aspall Draught Suffolk Cyder

DIPLOMA. The Gaymer Cider Company. Orchard Reserve – Newtons Vale

CLASS M – ENGLISH and WELSH WINES – WHITE

GOLD. Carr Taylor Wines Ltd. Alexis

SILVER. Carr Taylor Wines Ltd. Vessel IV

DIPLOMA. Broadfield Court. Huxelrebe

CLASS O - ENGLISH and WELSH WINES – SPARKLING

GOLD. Carr Taylor Wines Ltd. Brut

CLASS P – PACKAGING – ALES, LAGERS and CIDERS

GOLD. Greene King. Hens Tooth 500ml

GOLD. Greene King. Strong Suffolk 500ml

SILVER. Merrydown PLC. Merrydown Gold Family 275 and 500ml

DIPLOMA. Shepherd Neame. Bishops Finger 750ml

DIPLOMA. O - I Europe. Scrumpy Jack 500ml

CLASS R – PACKAGING – ENGLISH and WELSH WINES

DIPLOMA. Broadfield Court. Huxelrebe

CLASS S - ENGLISH and WELSH WINES – ROSÉ

DIPLOMA. Broadfield Court. Rosé

A separate report is available for the British Bottlers’ Institute Gala Awards Dinner.