Georgina Young says she feels “very special” after being announced as brewers’ brewer of the year at the SIBA Business Awards last week.
Georgina with fellow brewers Felix Granell (left) and Adam Lumb
This is Georgina’s third award in the past two years. She was crowned brewer of the year in 2023 by the British Guild of Beer Writers, and also received a lifetime achievement award at the Brewer’s Congress in the same year.
“Georgina is one of the UK’s most respected brewers,” said Pete Brown, who presented the SIBA awards. “She is a true beer enthusiast, with an obsessive eye for quality and consistency. In a brewer-voted category, she was a clear winner, which shows the enormous admiration held for Georgina and the time she gives back to the industry.”
After joining St Austell Brewery in 2019 from Fuller’s, Georgina has inspired new generations of brewers, supporting the HIIT brewing apprenticeship scheme with the International Centre for Brewing Science at Nottingham University. The course launched in 2019, with St Austell being one of the first breweries in the country to take on those brewing apprentices.
Georgina said: “It feels very special to have won this award, particularly as it’s voted for by other brewers in the industry. I’m very fortunate to be surrounded by brilliant people in the beer world, and having been chosen by peers to receive the accolade is a proud moment.”
Other notable achievements of Georgina’s include the launch of her first core beer, Anthem (3.4% ABV), in cans this month. The all-British pale ale was first introduced on bars in cask in 2022.
She also led on brewing St Austell’s first low-alcohol beer, Proper Job 0.5% IPA, which was released in October last year. The crisp, citrusy beer was the top pick in Good Housekeeping’s no- and low-alcohol guide for January 2025, as well as winning gold in the Taste of the West awards.
