Barnsley Bitter taps into brewing gold

A South Yorkshire brewery has secured international recognition after one of its flagship beers claimed top honours at a prestigious global competition.

Acorn Brewery, based in Wombwell near Barnsley, won a gold medal at the International Brewing Awards, often described as the ‘Brewing Oscars’.

Its Barnsley Bitter (3.8% abv) triumphed in the Cask Class for ales between 2.9 and 3.8 per cent, with the contest judged by professional brewers from across the world.

The accolade follows recent success at the SIBA North East Region Beer Competition, where both the bottled and keg versions of the beer also won gold.

Acorn Brewery will now compete in the SIBA National Indie Beer Awards at the BEERX event in Liverpool.

Dave Hughes, founder and managing director of Acorn Brewery, said: “This is a wonderful win for us. 

“Particularly as it is our first time in the awards, judged by brewers and regarded as the ‘Oscars’ of the industry, where we competed against some much bigger brewers. 

“Barnsley Bitter is a traditional Yorkshire bitter and was our inaugural brew. 

“Today it remains our top-selling brand, despite the fiercely competitive market which constantly demands new brews. 

“We are very proud to be keeping Barnsley in the spotlight of the brewing world with this major recognition from professional brewers.

“This win is testimony to our brewer Steve Bunting, who began brewing alongside me 23 years ago and remains totally dedicated to the integrity of our flagship brand, brewing with quality and consistency.

“It is also very gratifying to have this award for our cask version just as our bottled and keg versions also go forward for national judging at the trade’s prestigious UK awards. 

“This is a very exciting time for the Acorn team as we continue growing our business in the toughest of economic climates.”

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