Ever since CAMRA introduced its Champion Winter Beer of Britain competition in 1997, it has never been won by a London brewery. Until now! London Brewing Co’s Beer Street, a rye bitter, won Gold in the ‘Speciality – Differently Produced’ category. It then went on to come top in the final judging to become CAMRA’s Champion Winter Beer of Britain 2026.
To get there, Beer Street was put forward by the London Tasting Panel. It was subsequently judged in the London & South East regional round, very kindly hosted by Wimbledon Brewery last September where it just pipped Langham’s Saison to win first place. It then went forward to the national judging which, as mentioned in the previous edition, in the absence of a Winter Great British Beer Festival this year, took place at the Liverpool Beer Festival.
The director of London Brewing, Senan Sexton, said, “We’re absolutely delighted that Beer Street has been named Champion Winter Beer of Britain 2026 by CAMRA. We’ve been brewing Beer Street since we founded the brewery in 2011 and it’s a real testament to the skill and dedication of our head brewer, Alex, that he has continued to refine and elevate the recipe over the years.” Senan added, “This accolade means a tremendous amount to a brewery of our size. It’s not only a proud moment for our team but also a fantastic boost that celebrates the enduring appeal of high-quality cask ales enjoyed in pubs across the UK.”
The judges on the final panel said that it was a tough decision because all of the finalists were excellent beers. In total, 52 beers were judged by 41 judges from a variety of backgrounds: trained CAMRA judges, brewers, publicans, trade suppliers and beer writers.
The full list of all the beers judged can be found at https://cryneinyourbeer.sitelio.me/cryne-in-your-beer-articles. The six category winners were:
- Brown Ales, Red Ales, Old Ales and Strong Milds: Harvey’s Old Ale (4.3% ABV)
- Session Stouts and Porters: Cairngorm Black Gold (4.4% ABV)
- Strong Stouts and Porters: Green Jack Baltic Trader Export Stout (10.5% ABV)
- Barley Wines and Strong Ales: Driftwood Spars Alfie’s Revenge (6.5% ABV)
- Speciality, Differently Produced: London Brewing Beer Street (4.0% ABV)
- Speciality, Differently Flavoured: Farm Yard Hoof (4.3% ABV)
There was one other London beer included in the judging. This was Wimbledon Brewery’s XXXK (10% ABV) in the Barley Wine & Strong Ales category, although it was unplaced.
`The six category winners now go forward to be judged, along with the summer beers, at CAMRA’s Cambridge Beer Festival on Tuesday 19 May. Unusually, this long running tented festival will be open all day from noon (they normally close in the afternoon) and the winners will be announced during the afternoon session, which is open to all. The train journey from London is less than 75 minutes and the festival can be reached by bus from the station, if you don’t fancy the walk. For more details see https://www.cambridgebeerfestival.com/event/cambridge-beer-festival-2026/.
Christine Cryne