Ribble Valley beer writer shortlisted for national award

Clitheroe-based beer writer Katie Taylor has reached the shortlist of the prestigious awards, alongside highly-regarded writers from across the industry.

Katie’s writing is deeply rooted in the pubs and beer of the Lancashire and Cumbria area, and has recently covered Hawkshead Brewery’s new brewery in Flookburgh, Thwaite’s move to Samlesbury and Moorhouse’s recent rebrand. Her piece for Ferment Magazine about The Drummers Arms in Blackburn was one of the articles that saw her shortlisted.

The finalists were selected from 140 entries by judges Amy Bryant, food editor at The Telegraph; James Cuthbertson, MD of Dark Star Brewery and founder of the Beer and Cider Marketing Awards; Stu McKinlay, co-founder of Yeastie Boys; Jenn Merrick, founder of Earth Station Brewery; Mark Taylor, Bristol-based food and drink writer, and Zoe Wood, retail correspondent at The Guardian. The current Beer Writer of the Year, Adrian Tierney-Jones, chaired the panel.

Mr Tierney-Jones said: “Whittling the large field of high quality entries down to a shortlist was a challenge and everyone on it should be proud of having reached this stage.

“The best entrants in all categories demonstrated a sure grasp of their subject, coupled with a talent for storytelling. The quality, breadth of topics covered and diversity of media used by our finalists shows that writing about beer and pubs is indeed in good health.”

Katie said: “I’m absolutely chuffed to have been shortlisted for this prestigious award. I love writing and beer is such a rich topic to be able to cover. I’m excited to be on the same shortlist as some of our most immensely talented writers whose work inspired me to begin covering beer and ‘pub culture’ in the first place.

“I’m especially glad that I can bring a North-Western voice to the industry and wider beer scene, and that people appreciate my very different way of looking at the way we enjoy beer.”

A journalism graduate from Leeds Trinity University, Katie is also the press coordinator for the TryAnuary campaign and the coordinator for it’s Lancashire group @TryLancs. This campaign is concerned with supporting local pubs and trying new beers from our local areas.

Find more of her work on www.thesnapandthehiss.co.uk and www.northwestbeer.co.uk