The Beverage Trade Network has announced a new contest, the London Beer Competition, to take place in the capital in March.

The organisers want to set a new benchmark for award-winning beers by assessing them for their drinkability, value for money and how they look in terms of packaging and design.

judging will be conducted by panels of three or five and will include a mix of trade buyers and beer experts.
This, say the organisers, will ensure that the beer is not only judged on its quality but also its saleability.

Where appropriate, beers will be assessed by variety, style, region and country. Judges will then be given a briefing document setting out the beer’s price and target consumer and trade channel. Only then will judges be asked to give their score for quality based on an initial blind tasting and then additional knowledge about the beer’s price and market position.

The judges will then be handed the bottle or format for them to be able to assess, in detail, the design, label, and packaging and determine how well that matches up to, or complements the quality of the beer and its price point. The judges will then discuss the beer as a whole to help allocate scores in the three judging areas.

To find out more, and to enter, visit the London Beer Competition website