One of the UK’s biggest beer competitions has revealed the new chair who will lead the judging panel as it enters its 10th year – Professor Dawn Maskell, director of the International Centre of Brewing and Distilling at Heriot-Watt University
The Scottish Beer Awards is a wide-ranging competition which showcases the best of Scotland’s brewing industry. Annually, it welcomes over 300 Scottish beers into a blind tasting event which is judged by 35 experts from across the industry.
In taking up the chair, Professor Maskell replaces Hilary Jones, the former technical director of Scottish & Newcastle who has been in the position since the start of the awards in 2015.
Professor Maskell is well known to the international brewing industry. In addition to her organisational role at the Centre for Brewing and Distilling, Prof Maskell leads the Heriot-Watt team which teaches brewing to students from home and abroad.
She has been involved in the Scottish Beer Awards since 2016 on both the business and taste judging panels.
Professor Maskell said: “It is a real honour to chair the judging of the Scottish Beer Awards.
“The competition is vitally important for Scottish brewers to celebrate their many achievements across the year and learn from others across the sector. I hope to bring a reassuring and critical eye to the judging process and work with the organisers to ensure that brewers across Scotland get involved in these important awards.”
Jones, who will remain involved in the Scottish Beer Awards as a judge, welcomed Professor Maskell to the panel.
“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my work as Chair in these important awards and I am delighted that Dawn has agreed to take up the role in the award’s 10th year,” said Jones.
“I have every confidence that working with all the other judges, she will maintain our rigorous and fair approach to judging as well as bringing her own highly valued insights.”
The 2025 Scottish Beer Awards will be presented in October and this year form part of Beer Matters, a one-day industry trade show and conference for brewing industry professionals.
For the first time, the two events will take place on the same day with the awards announced as part of a special after party for conference delegates. The conference line up, which will be revealed in the coming weeks, is expected to include a range of speakers from UK, Europe and the USA.
