Left to right at last night’s All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group awards are Robert Humphreys, named beer drinker of the year, current SIBA chairman Guy Sheppard, APPBG chairman Andrew Griffiths MP and Keith Bott, recipient of the lifetime achievement award
Keith Bott, the recently retired chairman of the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) and a hugely influential figure in the British brewing scene for the last 30 years, has been presented with a lifetime achievement award from the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group (APPBG).
Group chairman, Andrew Griffiths, said: “Keith’s impact on the British brewing industry is immeasurable and it is no exaggeration to say that, without his involvement over the last three decades, the sector would look very different. He has been a towering presence in the modern, forward-looking brewing industry that his vision, and his tireless campaigning, have helped to shape. For his unique contribution to British brewing, Keith is a very worthy recipient of our lifetime achievement award.”
Keith started his brewing career as an assistant brewer at a microbrewery in his home town of Stoke-on-Trent, which he then bought, with his brother David, three years later. Titanic Brewery has gone from strength to strength.
He became a SIBA trustee in 1996 and was elected chairman in 2003. He served two four-year terms and in between them filled the role of president. Under his direction, SIBA achieved many of its most significant campaigning successes and evolved into the influential and respected organisation it is today.
SIBA managing director, Mike Benner, said: “Everyone within SIBA, and the wider British brewing industry, will applaud this well-deserved recognition for Keith. He has been a driving force behind many of the great victories for beer, through a combination of strategic vision, political astuteness and, underpinning everything he did, a deeply-held passion for our national drink.
“To have achieved so much as chairman and president, while also building a hugely successful brewery, speaks volumes for Keith’s talent, which we at SIBA are still privileged to benefit from, as he continues to serve as a trustee for our Midlands region.”
Keith stepped down after his second term as SIBA chairman in March this year, and was replaced by Guy Sheppard, a long-standing SIBA trustee and founder of Exe Valley Brewery. As one of 24 members of the board of trustees, he continues to provide oversight and direction for SIBA.
