Sophie Atherton is a writer and journalist, and was the first woman in the UK to be accredited as a beer sommelier. Her work appears regularly in the UK national press and various magazines such as the Campaign for Real Ale’s BEER and trade publication The Morning Advertiser, in which she writes a monthly column. She is an accomplished beer judge in both the UK and USA, at competitions including the World Beer Cup, International Beer Challenge, SIBA National Beer Competition and CAMRA’s Champion Beer of Britain. As well as being a beer writer she is also a consultant and PR adviser with clients throughout the beer and pub industry.
Roger Ryman has 30 years’ experience in the brewing industry and has spent around 20 of those at St Austell Brewery, Cornwall. In 2016 he took over the reins of newly acquired Bath Ales and now oversees beer production and both brewery sites. Qualified with an MSc in Brewing and Distilling Science from Heriot-Watt University, he also holds the Master Brewer qualification of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling and was recently made a Fellow of the same. He has been recognized as a Brewer of the Year by both the British Guild of Beer Writers and the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group and is also a Freeman of the City of London and a Liveryman of the Company of Brewers, an ancient guild of brewers dating from the fifteenth century.
Jerry Bartlett is a freelance writer and Swedophile. He has been writing about beer, whisky and food as MaltJerry since 2010, winning an award for Online Communication from the British Guild of Beer Writers the same year. Jerry is also a beer and whisky judge, counting 15 years at the Stockholm Beer and Whisky festival; twice with legendary ‘Beer Hunter/Whisky Chaser’ Michael Jackson, and the International Beer Challenge.
Pete Brown is a British writer who specializes in making people thirsty. He is the author of eight books and writes numerous articles in the drinks trade press and consumer press. He appears regularly on TV and radio, and has judged competitions including the BBC Food and Farming Awards and Great Taste Awards. He’s a member of the British Guild of Beer Writers, and was named Beer Writer of the Year in 2009, 2012 and 2016.
Jeff Evans has been writing professionally about beer for 30 years. He is a former editor of CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide and author of many acclaimed books, including A Beer a Day, The Book of Beer Knowledge, the Good Bottled Beer Guide and So You Want to Be a Beer Expert? A former UK Beer Writer of the Year, he gives talks, hosts tastings and broadcasts about beer and is chairman of the judges for the International Beer Challenge.
Susanna Forbes is a freelance writer, editorial consultant and events organizer, with 20 years’ experience in the drinks trade. Beer and cider editor of Imbibe and Imbibe Live, she specializes in pubs, bars and restaurants, champions beer and food matching, and is a regular beer judge. A firm advocate of meeting the people behind the pint, she set up DrinkBritain.com, the drinks tourism website. With her husband she recently founded Little Pomona Orchard & Cidery.
Roger Protz is a beer writer with a worldwide reputation. He has written more than 20 books and edited 24 editions of the annual Good Beer Guide. He has won gold and silver awards from the British and American Guilds of Beer Writers and has twice won the Glenfiddich Drink Writer of the Year award. He has lectured to Friends of the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC and Beer Expo in Melbourne, Australia. He judges in many international competitions, including the Brussels Beer Challenge. He has been given Lifetime Achievement Awards by the British Guild of Beer Writers and the Society of Independent Brewers and has been named an Honorary Knight by the Belgian Brewers’ Federation.