Lara Lopes, lead brewer at Round Corner Brewing, has been named young brewer of the year at the 2022 Brewers Choice Awards, organised by Brewers Journal.
Upon graduating as a mechanical engineer in her home country of Brazil, Lara started working at AB InBev as a brewing process maintenance supervisor. During that time, she dedicated herself to studying the brewing process and brewed her own beer at home to put that knowledge into practice.
However, she also recognised the value which a certification from a renowned institution would add to her early development and career, so she decided to undertake the IBD general certificate in brewing in December 2020.
Since joining Round Corner Brewing in May 2021, Lara has represented the Melton Mowbray-based brewery on mainstream television as she paired beer with cheese and pies on BBC’s Countryfile.
She has led an expansion project at the brewery, helped Round Corner Brewing win a trophy for the world’s best ale with Steeplechase, and sat as a judge for the World Beer Awards.
Lara said: “I feel extremely honoured to win young brewer of the year, but most importantly grateful for the support Colin (Paige) and the team have given me at Round Corner Brewing.
“The last 18 months have been quite busy for our team, from winning a trophy for the world’s best ale, among other incredible awards, to growing our team and expanding our production capacity by 75%, we’ve done so much! Branching out from production, I also got to represent Round Corner Brewing on mainstream TV and sit as a judge for the World Beer Awards, which were amazing experiences.
“For me, working alongside such a talented head brewer and leading a team so dedicated and skilled has driven me to develop myself as a brewer and a leader. And while I’m honoured for the recognition, I believe this award is a reflection of our combined efforts and commitment to high quality and high standards in everything we do here at Round Corner Brewing.”
Round Corner Brewing head brewer and co-founder, Colin Paige said: “We are extremely proud that Lara has been awarded young brewer of the year. This award is verification of what we already knew, that Lara is a world class brewer and world class brewers make world class beer.
“We see this award as not just a testament to her technical brewing skills and excellent quality ethos, but also her strong leadership in helping drive the positive achievement culture we strive for at Round Corner Brewing.
“Lara’s achievements over the last 18 months in her role as lead brewer with Round Corner Brewing have been nothing short of outstanding. A strong drive, work ethic and quality philosophy, as well as an innate ability to constantly challenge the status quo, is why she is young brewer of the year.”
Co-founder and chief executive, Combie Cryan, added: “What an incredible achievement by Lara. We’re really proud of her for so many reasons. As a team, we see day in, day out, the hard work and dedication Lara puts into her work, so the fact she’s been recognised for this on a national scale, it’s truly deserving.
“At Round Corner Brewing we believe craft beer is all about the relentless pursuit of perfection, and that also applies to everything we do as a business. Whether that’s scouring the world for the best ingredients, or in this case the best people, we look for outstanding individuals who can come into our team and drive us forward. Lara is one of those people and she’s a huge part of our incredible team.”
