We consider ourselves lucky to be able to count on the support of the huge majority of people involved in the BWS category. Many of the leading producers, writers and experts help our national and regional buying teams to select the winners.

To help organise and oversee the judging process, we can call on the knowledge and influence of three leading lights in their respective fields who make up our Advisory Panel.

Tim Hampson – Beers and Ciders
Currently Chairman of the Guild of British Beer Writers, Tim is also a contributor to the Sky Pub Channel, What’s Brewing, Morning Advertiser, Brewers Guardian, Pub Business, The Guardian, The Independent and American Brewer.

Dave Broom - Spirits
Dave Broom has been involved with drink for all of his working life. He has worked in Oddbins, run a real ale pub and been a cellar rat at two Australian wineries. These days he lives by the sea and writes exclusively about spirits. He is the editor of the Scotch Whisky review, Whisky Magazine-Japan, contributing editor to Whisky Magazine, spirits editor Wine & Spirit and writes pieces for a number of other national and international titles.

He has won two Glenfiddich awards for his books, the most recent for Rum (Mitchell-Beazley). He has also been Glenfiddich Drinks Writer of the Year twice. Dave is actively involved in trade and consumer education and appears regularly on TV and radio.

Julia Trustram Eve – UK Wine
Julia is Marketing Manager for The Marketing Association of the English Wine Industry, very much at the forefront of promoting English wine to the nation’s wine drinkers.

These Panelists help recruit an expert group of judges whose skills and knowledge perfectly match the category in question.

In addition, the team behind the Tesco Drinks Awards has extensive experience of running such competitions - having previously managed both the International Wine Challenge and the International Spirits Challenge – and has extensive contacts and friends in the drinks industry.