British Guild of Beer Writers x Good Beer Hunting:
Diversity in British Beer Writing Grant

This year, The British Guild of Beer Writers and Good Beer Hunting joined forces to launch the inaugural Diversity in British Beer Writing Grant. The Grant's goal is to platform and highlight stories that celebrate diversity and inclusion within beer, pubs, and the wider British hospitality industry.

Now, we're thrilled to announce the three winners:

Damian Kerlin is an LGBTQ+ writer and journalist, and a consumer PR and communications consultant. He is a columnist for Out News Global and an LGBTQ+ reporter for The Belfast Telegraph. In his story, he will be exploring how LGBTQ+ drinkers come to craft beer, and looking at the barriers that lad culture poses.

Amy Lo is a journalist and content creator who specialises in writing about the food and drink industry. Her proposal for a short film about the families behind the U.K.’s Chinese takeaways was shortlisted in Netflix’s Documentary Talent Fund. In her piece, she will be exploring the connection between pubs and East and Southeast Asian cooking in the UK, and connecting that to her experiences growing up in a Chinese takeaway.

Liz Chambers runs a freehouse in Bristol called The Hare on the Hill with her partner. Previously, she was accepted onto a PhD programme in sociology, where she studied far-right groups. She will be writing about her experiences as a pub landlord with a chronic illness, and reporting on other publicans’ experiences of disability and running a beer business.

Congratulations to all three winners, and we look forward to sharing their work this autumn!The British Guild of Beer Writers and Good Beer Hunting are partnering to launch a new diversity grant open to U.K.-based writers and journalists, both current and aspiring. 

More about the grant collaboration

The grant platform highlights stories that celebrate diversity and inclusion within beer, pubs, and the wider hospitality industry. In keeping with the spirit of this grant, we’re particularly interested in hearing from those who are not always well-represented within the broader beer landscape, including women, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ people, and disabled people. We welcomed pitches from people who are new to, or seeking a career within, beer writing, brewing, pubs, and the drinks industry at large. 

Three winners were selected by British Guild of Beer Writers director David Jesudason and the Good Beer Hunting editorial team. Each is awarded £350, will work with both David and GBH on several rounds of edits, will have illustrations made to accompany their work, and will have their final piece published on Good Beer Hunting and later republished on the Guild of British Beer Writers website. After publication, each winner will be interviewed for the Good Beer Hunting Podcast about their story. 

Winners will additionally be awarded one year of associate membership to the British Guild of Beer Writers, including access to training, events, and awards, and will be invited to take part in a Zoom panel discussion for members about their stories. They will also be awarded one year of membership to the Fervent Few, GBH’s subscriber community.

For any questions about the grant, please contact David Jesudason (davidjesudasonmag@gmail.com) and Claire Bullen (claire.bullen@goodbeerhunting.com).