Welsh brewery wins Champion Beer of Britain silver medal

A multi-award-winning Welsh brewery has won a silver medal at the Campaign for Real Ale’s (CAMRA) 2025 Champion Bottled Beer of Britain Awards.

Montgomery-based Monty’s Brewery won the silver medal for its popular 5% golden ale, Mischief, which was first brewed in 2010.

The awards, held as part of the prestigious Great British Beer Festival, are regarded as one of the highest honours in British brewing.

Unlike many other competitions, the CAMRA awards are unique in that beers are nominated and voted for by beer drinkers themselves, not breweries.

Blind tastings

Each beer goes through rigorous rounds of regional judging before making it to the national stage, where blind tastings are conducted to determine the winners.

Monty’s Mischief was created as a nod to traditional British IPAs, earning the ale its mischievous name, by often ‘sneaking up’ on those who enjoy one too many.

Christine Cryne, of CAMRA, highlighted the significance of the win during the ceremony: “This story is close to my heart. A female brewer, who learned her trade at Brewlab, created a recipe which has gone on to win Silver Medal for bottled Mischief.”

Monty’s co-founder Pam Honeyman, who collected the award on behalf of the team, said:  “This is an incredibly proud moment not just for me, but for Kate, our head practical brewer and the entire Monty’s team. The recognition of more female brewers in the industry is long overdue and to have Mischief celebrated in this way means the world to us.”

The award win is just the latest milestone in what has been a period of strong growth for the brewery.

Investment

Last year, Monty’s secured investment from Mike Harris, a successful entrepreneur and since then, has expanded its production capacity, allowing for wider distribution across Wales and into new markets in England.

It has also introduced new branding and boosted its digital presence, including a redesigned website and new content highlighting the people and stories behind each brew.

The brewery has also invested in community outreach and events, reconnecting with loyal customers and bringing Monty’s beers to new audiences through pop-ups, local partnerships and food and drink festivals.

“The support from Mike has been transformative,” said Pam.” It’s allowed us to take our ambition to the next level, without compromising who we are. We’re still the same hands-on, passionate team, but with more capacity to share what we love with even more people.”

Founded in 2009 by Pam and husband Russ, Monty’s Brewery has grown from a small rural set-up into one of Wales’ most respected independent breweries. Known for its gluten-free options, award-winning ales and commitment to quality, Monty’s beers can be found in pubs, shops and homes across the UK.

For more information, visit: https://www.montysbrewery.co.uk For details of the award: https://camra.org.uk