Meet the Judges

Graduating from Heriot-Watt University in 1988 with a BSc. Brewing and Microbiology Fergus joined Grand Metropolitan Brewing holding production posts at Ruddles Brewery, Leicestershire and Stag Brewery, Mortlake.  Following a 4 year stint at Scottish and Newcastle, in 1997 Fergus opened the Inveralmond Brewery in Perth and built a successful company winning many awards over the years until exiting after a sale to Innis & Gunn in 2016.  He has extensive judging experience having been involved in SIBA, CAMRA and Institute of Brewing and Distilling competitions for many years.  Currently Fergus is Non-exec Chairman of 71 Brewing based in Dundee.

Ruth Evans MBE is CEO for BFBi (Brewing, Food & Beverage Industry Suppliers’ Association, formed in 1907) and has now been with the Association for over 30 years. BFBi is believed to be the only trade association in the world representing an entire value chain into the beverage industry and gives Ruth a unique view across all sectors. 

The Association owns and runs the bi-annual International Brewing Awards, the oldest international brewing competition in the world (started in 1888).  Cider returned to the Awards in 2011, via The International Cider Awards.

After 4 years spent in FMCG sales, David joined the brewing industry in 2016 with Muntons Malt as Craft Brewing Sales Manager for Scotland looking after brewing accounts and new business development. During his career with Muntons, he completed the General Certificate in Malting through the Institute of Brewing and Distilling. In 2018, David then went on to look after key brewing accounts for Muntons for the whole Northern UK region.

As of 2020, David has become the Brewing and Distilling Area Sales Manager for Scotland and Northern England, managing Craft, Regional and National brewing and distilling accounts.

Throughout his time within the industry, David has judged at multiple beer events including SIBA Beer Awards and CAMRA festivals.

With a true passion for all things malt, beer and whisky, David can often be found sampling Scotland’s finest in bars across his hometown of Glasgow.

Johnston Carmichael are Scotland’s largest firm of Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers, advising over 500 food and drink businesses. They have a wealth of food and drink industry expertise and use this knowledge to help business owners make better business decisions. 

Adam leads Johnston Carmichael’s food and drink team, regularly advises clients on strategic growth and funding options.  Adam is very well connected across brewing, the wider drinks industry and regularly makes introductions and identifies opportunities across his network of business leaders, investors and intermediaries to help clients grow. 

Adam is a judge with The Scottish Beer Awards and Chairman of The Scottish Gin Awards.

Colin is the Sales & Marketing Director for Crisp Malt, leading the technical sales team servicing distributors, breweries and distilleries all over the world. He is based in Edinburgh.

He has been in the brewing industry for over 14 years with a career spanning Craft and International brewing with roles in brewing, operations, project management and engineering.

After project managing the building of Drygate Brewery in Glasgow and then running it as Operations Director, he became an independent consultant in the industry under Maru Projects, after which he joined Crisp Malt as a territory sales manager.

A BSc graduate from Edinburgh University, Hilary joined Scottish & Newcastle in 1981 and enjoyed a varied career within the global drinks industry including managing the then famous Tyne Brewery in Newcastle, and Theakstons Brewery in Yorkshire. Latterly – before its takeover by Heineken - she was S&N’s Group Technical & Quality Director, looking after brewing quality in seven European countries as well as the Baltika joint venture in Russia.

In 1995, she was elected as a Fellow of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling. In 2005 she became the first woman President of European Brewery Convention, where she led its merger with the trade association, Brewers of Europe.

In ‘retirement’ from the world of corporate brewing she invested in WEST Brewery in Glasgow, working since 2009 with its founder Petra Wetzel to develop the WEST family of German-style beer brands. She chaired Scotland Food & Drink’s Brewing Industry Leadership Group which published a report ‘Brewing Up A Storm’ in 2019, recommending a range of measures to unblock barriers to growth for the brewing industry in Scotland. She is Chair of the Board of Sikh Sanjog, the Edinburgh-based charity which supports Sikh and other ethnic minority women to integrate into mainstream Scottish society and the employment market.

In 2022 she was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science by the University of Edinburgh, partly in recognition of promoting careers for women in science.

Keith Lugton is Group Liquid Development Manager at C&C Group plc operating from Tennent Caledonian Breweries Ltd, Wellpark Brewery, Glasgow.  He has been a Master Brewer since 1989, having worked in the Brewing Industry since 1977. In 2014 was involved in the design, commissioning and operation of a new microbrewery in the Magners plant in Clonmel, Ireland. Keith is a Fellow of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling and former Chairman of the Scottish Section of the IBD. He is a member of the Maltsters Association of Great Britain Malt and Barley Committee. He is also a former member of the Advisory Board of Management at the International Centre for Brewing and Distilling at the Herriot Watt University in Edinburgh. Over the last 11 years Keith has also been heavily involved in Cider Development both in the UK, Ireland, Italy and the USA. In addition Keith has hosted tasting events with the Master Brewer both at the brewery and abroad including Singapore, South Korea and Italy. Keith has also judged at the World Beer Awards.

Rob is one of only 22 Master Cicerones worldwide, and has ten years experience in new product development and sensory analysis within the craft beer industry.

As Head of Creative at the multiple-award-winning Fierce Beer, Rob is responsible for the brand development of one of Scotland's best-loved breweries. Combining his passion for beer with his ability to communicate through graphics, photography and written language, Rob strives not only to help consumers find their new favourite beer, but also to make the industry a more positive place for employees, through his work under Punks With Purpose, a positive action industry group.

Prof. Dawn Maskell is the Director of the International Centre for Brewing and Distilling at Heriot-Watt University. Dawn has a PhD from Oxford Brookes University in brewing yeast physiology and an Honours degree in Brewing and Distilling from Heriot-Watt University. Today Dawn works with many brewing and distilling companies on short and long term research projects and is particularly interested in yeast physiology, fermentation process improvement and sustainability. 

Dawn is a member of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling and holds a Diploma in Brewing. Dawn is also on the Board of Examiners for the Institute of Brewing and Distilling and is a member of the IBD Scottish Section Committee. Dawn is the Chair of the Technical Committee for the American Society of Brewing Chemists, where she also sits on the Board of Directors and is part of the Editorial Board for the Journal of the American Society of Brewing Chemists.

From sales and ambassadorial roles with some of Scotch whiskies biggest brands to organising independent tastings and drinks festivals, it's safe to say Aly has sampled almost everything aspect of the Scottish drinks industry. After starting out in Scotch whisky, he gradually moved more and more into the world of craft beer, managing specialist bars and restaurants. From there he moved to work with some of Scotland's best breweries including the likes of Fierce Beer and Six Degrees North. Now, as Operations Manager at Edinburgh's Barney's Beer he enjoys the constantly changing and evolving world of working in one of the citires most recognisable microbreweries.

Never more at home than at behind the bar at a beer festival, there's nothing he enjoys more than sharing good drinks with good people... Except maybe the afterparty.

Born and raised in Mumbai, India, Nix’s family immigrated to Canada in her early 20s. Moving to Scotland in 2017, she is proud to be a personal mosaic of different cultures.

Part beer lover and part history nerd, Nix found a way to combine the two and facilitated walking tours in Toronto that focused on the city's beer and brewing history.

After moving to Scotland, Nix launched Craft Beer Passport UK to advocate for local, indie bars and breweries and encourage beer drinkers to support them.

Nix is also the founder of the Glasladies Beer Society, a space for women and non-binary people to discover, explore, and expand on their love for beer. Over the 3+ years since its inception, the group has grown from strength to strength, highlights being a series of collaborations with local breweries and organising Glasgow’s first women-run beer festival.

Nix has an ongoing commitment to making beer a more diverse and equitable industry for everyone.

David runs his own Edinburgh-based consultancy Because Brands Matter. The business has one sole objective; to make other people’s brands more famous by increasing awareness and sales.

With a career spanning 36 years, David has worked both agency and client side and has collaborated with many food and drink manufacturers. These include names such as Glenmorangie, Drambuie, Smirnoff, Tennent’s, Schlitz, Harviestoun, Lind & Lime Gin and Mutugga Rum. Using his unique Brand Repositioning Workshop process, he has helped hundreds of businesses, across a wide variety of sectors, reframe their proposition and hone their messaging.

David is the only person to have won been awarded Agency Creative Director of the Year, Agency Managing Director of the Year and Scotland Food & Drink SME Client of the year. He describes himself as being “A lover of all beer styles” and is always interesting in assisting any brand looking to improve sales and increase their share of voice.

Pete has worked in the trade since the age of 18 having started with Oddbins. He move into on trade to see the business from the other side, moving back to off trade after securing a position with a local independent beer shop in Edinburgh. 

He opened The Beerhive in 2011 as a craft beer specialist and now stocks over 700 beers and 500 wines. In 2015 The Beerhive was named the Scotland’s best beer shop by Off License News.

Senior Lecturer in New Product Development at Abertay University.  As part of the role, he teaches New Product Development and Quality and Safety Management Systems for the Food and Consumer Science BSc (Hons) programme.  Jonathan was awarded a Fellow of IFST in 2018.  In his current role he work closely within the Scottish Food and Drink manufacturing sector, upskilling businesses in terms of recovery of added value ingredients from co-products (waste) or creation of new products. He is very interested in innovative flavours and techniques and have a passion to see the Scottish Food and Drink sector flourish.  He has expertise in consumer and sensory studies, and as a judge on the panel, will be looking for flavour, innovation, and uniqueness.

Following Rachel’s graduation from the MSc in Brewing and Distilling at Heriot Watt University in 2002; she joined the team at the Scottish & Newcastle Technical Centre in Edinburgh. Completing roles at Fountain and John Smiths Brewery, Rachel moved to S&N’s head office in Edinburgh and following the acquisition by Heineken Rachel spent five years as UK Sensory Manager. In 2012 Rachel joined the team at Innis & Gunn and spent the next five year as Quality and Sensory Manager. Since October 2017 Rachel has worked at the International Centre for Brewing and Distilling at Heriot Watt University as an Assistant Professor – Brewing, teaching brewing and sensory classes to undergraduate and postgraduate students. Rachel has a keen interest in beer and food matching and enjoys the opportunity to judge at home and international beer competitions.

Over a decade employed in the Scottish on-trade, spending a chunk of that at nationally renowned brewers Innis & Gunn and Beavertown, with a passion for consuming top quality beers, from renowned classics to new favourites.

James is the founder and distiller of the Electric Spirit Company, producing spirits in Leith, Edinburgh.

As a graduate of the Glasgow School of Art, James previously consulted on brand experience for numerous multi-national businesses, before returning to Scotland and enrolling on the Brewing & Distilling MSc at Heriot Watt. He graduated with distinction, receiving the Brewers’ Company Prize as the course’s top student, as well as the Watt Club Medal as dux litterarum in the School of Life Sciences.

He founded Electric in late 2014, beginning production on a 20 litre still in a tiny industrial unit. The company has since increased capacity and expanded distribution around the world, winning at the Scottish Gin Awards and being named as the coolest spirit brand in Scotland by The Herald, with Ian Buxton placing Electric “at the cutting edge of the vibrant Scottish craft distilling scene” in 101 Gins to Try Before You Die.

Industry veteran Chris, who joined Bass Brewers 25 years ago went on to Caledonian Brewery before growing Harviestoun Brewery as CEO into one of the UK’s leading craft beer producers prior to exiting in 2014.

Chris is chief commercial officer of JW Filshill group of companies.

JW Filshill is a fifth generation distributor of ambient goods to the retail & convenience channel.

Miller also formed a brewing venture , Clan Brewing Company back in 2014 with partner with Scott Williams, founder and brewmaster of Williams Brothers Brewing Co.

The portfolio focusses on a series of four whisky barrel-aged beers matured in regional single malt casks & exports to North US & South East Asia.

Chris has been a non-exec of BrewGooder since its launch & has judged the SBA on taste/business categories from conception.

Louise Maclean is Director of Signature Pub Group and Cold Town Beer. She began her career in the drinks industry with United Distillers and Vintners (now Diageo) in 1998 and has worked in senior sales and marketing roles for Coors and Tennents before joining Signature as Head of Sales & Marketing when the business comprised of 4 Edinburgh bars. Now Business Development Director for Signature which has 21 venues across Scotland she is also a Director of Cold Town Beer, Essential Edinburgh and a member of The Scottish Hospitality Group so it’s fair to say hospitality, business and drinks is her life!

Ady Floyd is a Canadian beer fanatic residing in Edinburgh, Scotland. She became a Certified Beer Specialist in 2021, graduating from George Brown College and has joined beer judging panels including the World Beer Awards (2021), Canadian Brewers Awards (2022) and the Scottish National Homebrewers Competition (2023).
With an incredible passion for amazing brews, she’s a beer festival representative with several years of experience. She showcases her ongoing presence in the beer community through her Instagram JustBeerBanter and recently joined forces with the Edinburgh-based beer society, Beers Without Beards.
Ady also works at trend research firm, Trend Hunter as a keynote speaker specializing in food and beverage and is the VP of Client Success.

From St. Louis, USA, Dan Kopman is a Lecturer at the Kogod School of Business at American University in Washington, DC, and a Senior Policy Advisor to the Worldwide Brewing Alliance. Dan was the Co-Founder and CEO of The Saint Louis Brewery, brewer of Schlafly Beer, and then CEO of Clipper City Brewing LP, brewer of Heavy Seas Beer in Maryland. Dan began his career in brewing as a trainee brewer at Young & Co’s Brewery in London with additional training at Scottish & Newcastle Breweries in Edinburgh.

Following 25 years of Supply Chain Management within the Brewing sector, Maria now runs her own consulting business focussed on supporting management teams with operationalising strategy and driving successful change within organisations.

Maria joined Scottish & Newcastle in 1998 where she held various roles across both Supply Chain Operations and the Commercial function, specifically within the Pub business, adding great insight and knowledge on the all-important ‘last mile’ of the end-to-end nature of the supply chain.   Following Heineken’s take-over of S&N, Maria joined their European Supply Chain team and operated as a Supply Chain Director and Business Change Director for several strategic regional programmes.

Maria is also an examiner for the Master Brewer Qualification (IBD).

My name is Paolo Gugole, I'm 34 years old, I live in San Giovanni Ilarione in the province of Verona in Italy.  

Since 2016 I have been managing the Bräustüberl München, a place specializing in craft beer.  

Facebook: Bräustüberl München 

I studied at the Doemens Academy in Munich in Germany.  

I am a Certified Italian Beer Sommelier.  

At the sixth Beer Sommelier World Championship, I was ranked 49th best Beer Sommelier in the world and 4th best Beer Sommelier in Italy.  

I am a professional taster for UDB Unione Degustatori Birra, I studied at the university of beer in Perugia, I am a Sensory Judge.  

I have been summoned as a Brewer Judge in various European countries: 

Italy, France, Austria, Finland, Germany, and now for the first time in Scotland too!

Karen is an Oban based business owner who is raising the profile of independent breweries in the rural west of Scotland. With extensive experience across hospitality in Scotland she uses passion and enthusiasm to drive this message. Creator of the annual Love of Beer boutique festival bringing Scottish independent breweries to Oban she firmly believes in beer without barriers and accessibility for all.

Gillian is based in Glasgow and has been an active member of the Glasgow and West of Scotland Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale since 2009. She has served as Young Members Officer, Social Media Officer and Branch Contact and has a particular interest in encouraging women and young people within the campaign.

She has worked at various beer festivals throughout the UK, particularly the Glasgow Real Ale Festival and the Great British Beer Festival where she manages the Organiser’s Office. 

Gillian is also a keen member of the Glasladies Beer Society and is passionate about smashing stereotypes when it comes to drinking beer.

Carrie has been working in the wine beer and spirits industry in Scotland for over 15 years across hospitality, events and retail. Having formerly been a buyer for The Bon Vivant group she currently oversees Scotland for Oddbins. She has a particular fondness for the collaborative use of wine and beer techniques and flavour profiles.

Joe has worked in hospitality for the past 10 years and made the jump to craft beer after moving to Edinburgh to study. Since then he has run Bars, Taprooms and Business Development for some of Scotland's best breweries including 6 Degrees North, Vault City and most recently in his role at Brew Toon. 

Alongside his enjoyment in brewing and coming up with crazy ideas for beers; Joe's real joy lies with getting in front of people and sharing his passion for the industry with them.

Fiona has been lucky enough to work with some of the best breweries over her 12 year career in the UK on trade. Fiona started her career at Innis & Gunn where her love for craft beer grew and led her onto BrewDog doing just under 6 years between them, working with some of the best MRG’s and independent customers – some where her original taps still remain to this date! Fiona made a swift move over to Asahi UK in 2017 and has been developing Asahi's presence within the RTM channel across Scotland and the North of England with some award winning beers within the portfolio.

Originally specializing in renewable energy, Eva entered the world of professional brewing in 2020. Having been an active homebrewer for several years, she took on the IBD General Certificate in Brewing in her free time and learned the ropes with friends at Ride Brewing Co in Glasgow. In 2021 Eva joined the team WEST Brewery as a trainee, working up to Assistant Brewer. 

Keen to further her knowledge, Eva is currently working towards the IBD Diploma in Brewing and becoming a Certified Cicerrone. Eva is an active member of the Glasladies Beer Society and Edinburgh based Beers without Beards, she has participated in several of their collaborative brews with Hidden Lane Organic Brewery and Pilot Beer

Sarah is very excited to recently start as a Technical Sales Manager at Crisp Malt covering Scotland and East of England. She stated her brewing career as a Lab Tech at Shepherd Neame, after doing a Biological Sciences degree at Heriot Watt University. She quickly fell in love with the industry and went on to be Shepherd Neame’s Lab Manager, completing her IBD Diploma and staying at Sheps nearly 11 years. Being in charge of sensory analysis, running taste panels, quality control and quality improvements whilst at Sheps has given her an appreciation and broad understanding of the entire brewing process which she hopes to take forward as experience to help other craft brewers in her current role. After moving back to Scotland two years ago, Sarah is keen to get to know more of the Scottish craft brewers and is looking forward to sampling what they have to offer at the awards.

Andrew Gill is the Client Services Director at Contagious – who are experts in the design and delivery of drinks brands. A seasoned professional in the global agency realm, Andrew has over a decade of experience at some of the top strategic branding and design agencies across the globe (Jones Knowles Ritchie, Bulletproof and now Contagious). 

Andrew has worked with some of the world’s biggest brands across the FMCG and Spirits industries such as M&M’s, Heinz, Beam-Suntory, Bacardi, Brown-Forman and many more. Much of his time has been focused on the beer category leading accounts with The Heineken Company (with global and local brands such as Heineken, Amstel, Sol, Strongbow, Cruzcampo, Sagres, and Dos Equis), Fuller’s (London Pride and the full ale portfolio) and Young’s Pubs (ale portfolio and managed estate).

Steven has been in the drinks business for over 30 years with a mixed background of working with beer and spirit brands. He has worked alongside brands such as Guinness as part of GBW.

When Steven isn’t working with drinks, he is an advocate for discovering new food and drink pairings to challenge perceptions. Currently, Steven works at Scotland’s oldest working brewery, Belhaven Brewery and is the Director of East Lothian Food & Drink.

Philosophy in life: do what you enjoy and make a positive difference!

Stevie made the move from off-trade Cider sales for Thistly Cross Cider to beer production with Cassels Brewery in New Zealand, operating in roles across the brewing, cellaring and packaging departments in production team that earned three World Beer Awards in that time. After returning to Scotland to complete a Brewing and Distilling MSc at Heriot Watt, Stevie joined Stewart Brewing in 2022 as Packaging Manager with an emphasis on consistency, quality and production efficiency.

Pete has worked in the brewing industry for the last 13 years. After graduating from Heriot Watt with a BSc in Brewing and Distilling in 2010, he spent the first four years of his career in microbreweries. He went on to gain wider industry experience by being accepted onto the Heineken graduate scheme before taking on the role of Technical Brewer at the historic Caledonian Brewery in Edinburgh. Pete is currently the Head Brewer at Jump Ship Brewing and specialises in brewing non-alcoholic beer.

Amy is a forager and drinks industry consultant specializing in collaborative beers using wild ingredients. Most recently creating a spring ale with cleavers, in partnership with Dookit Brewery, Slow Food Glasgow and the Ganet. She is currently planning collaborations for the upcoming Scottish Wild Food Festival and has been a judge for the Scottish National Homebrew Competition since 2019. In addition, she is a PhD researcher exploring the portrayal of beer and masculinity on screen, with a forthcoming publication on "Beer and Populism in Contemporary British Politics.

Mary works for Beer Without Borders in beautiful Dumfries & Galloway, as Retail Manager and Senior Buyer.  Equally passionate about great beer and about providing a fantastic shopping experience, she loves to help customers find a beer they love.  Mary is particularly interested in exploring opportunities for collaboration across the craft beer community and the wider food, drink and creative communities.

Hailing from brand ambassador work with some of the worlds biggest beer brands through to sales and marketing roles with global drinks companies, Rachel fell in love with the drinks industry and particularly beer, early in her career.  She has gone onto champion the rise of Scottish boutique brands and of course striving to celebrate women in the drinks industry.  Her career has spanned 20 years beginning in hospitality from a young age through to leading the people side of award winning hospitality businesses.  Her talents took her to the world of music and events, working with some of the best artists in the world, all of course centred around food, drink and hospitality.

Her vision for a progressive, organic led brewery in the heart of Glasgows Finnieston district led to the formation of Hidden Lane brewery in 2019.  The style is uncompromising in its approachability, sustainability and taste with each new brew continuing to wow fans old and new.