Winners and photos from the 2013 Beer and Pie Challenge

So the 2014 Beer and Pie Challenge is upon us and, as per tradition, I have left it until now to post the results for last year's competition. In keeping with previous years, I have attempted to reconstruct events from memories, photographs and fragmentary documentary evidence - an exercise that this year is so bereft it has led me to question whether or not the 2013 Beer and Pie Challenge happened at all.

Listen, I've done the best I can. I think these are the results, but if I've arsed it up, do let me know. I have included Hugo's beer-soaked palimpsest and some other notes that were found tucked in a brew box in the attic. Oh, and I've drawn the following artistic impression of the award ceremony, which I have a vague recollection was terribly moving. If you have anything better, do share.

Best beer (grand prix)
Blind tasting letter included as key to the accompanying image.

Here's all the paperwork that survived and made it back to
ours. Hugo's scores, plus rankings for pie, label, name.

1. Dirty Harry (Sean Parry) J
2. Black Cat Milf Stout (Myles Willingale) J
3. Erkenwald 666 (Richard Jones) M
= 4. Headpuncher (Richard Cable) L
= 4. Peter Brew (Myles Willingale) D
= 4. Chertsey Gold (Colette Kitterhing) K
= 5. Islay Malt (Al Davis) F
= 5. Hoppy Christmas Vintage (Al Davis) G
= 5. Sibling Rivalry (Rod Hardcastle) A
= 6. Maiden Voyage (Gary Weber) E
= 6. Try Ale (Yuki Lindstrup) B

7. No Name Beer (Phil Boast) M
8. Killer with Vanilla (Richard Cable) I

Best pie

1. Three Nations Surprise (Tamie Inoue)
2. Game (Rod Hardcastle)
3. Black Bird Pie (Emma Willingale)

Also listed in the Blessed Company of Pie Makers:

• Pork Pie Not Halaal (Mikakshi Bharal) SPECIAL MERIT
• Sausage and Egg Picnic Pie (Nicky Penn)
• Plumage to Catalonia (Lucy, Gabriel and Steve Wood)
• Mini-me (Rod Hardcastle)
• Delicious Kent (Tim and Barry Nunan)
• Chertsey Fidget (Kayte Cable)
• Not Your Average Pork Pie (Can Hewetson)

Best name

1. Erkenwald 666 (Richard Jones)

Best label

1. Chertsey Gold (Colette Kitterhing)


Prize winners and photos from the 2012 Beer and Pie Challenge [LINK]
Prize winners and photos from the 2011 Beer and Pie Challenge [LINK]
Prize winners and photos from the 2010 Beer Challenge [LINK]
Prize winners and photos from the 2009 Beer Challenge [LINK] 

Winners and photos from the 2012 Beer and Pie Challenge

Kate salutes her own victory in emphatic style
as Ham minesweeps the dregs

We knew it was a potentially explosive mix: the union of beer and pie in a single, festive competition, but sometimes you just have to roll the dice. In the ensuing mushroom cloud of shortcrust pastry and ale suds, all record of the event was strangely lost. Only now has it been reconstructed from old photos, graphic flashbacks and through a series of secret meetings with a shady insider known only as 'Deep Throat'.

Despite losing a fair few of the regular brewers to Christmas engagements, we still racked up a cracking 11 beers in two categories and a wildly impressive array of 12 pies fit to make a Frenchman choke on his petit fours. You are all a credit to the sterling traditions of Beer & Pie and towering examples of can-do spirit.

In addition we raised £50 for the RNLI. Every year we're one step closer to that crucial Chertsey lifeboat. You never know when the big one's coming.

Belated but heartfelt thanks go to our inestimable and often halfway sober beer judge Hugo Anderson; to the happiest man in Chertsey whose cherubic grin said all that needs to be said about the relationship between earthly bliss and a decent slice of pie, our pie judge, Rob Betteridge; and to Tony, the landlord of the Crown, who has apparently spent most of the year in renovations entirely based on the fallout from the Challenge. We salute you.

Pics will shortly be on Flickr and the full results are listed below!

From left: Rt Hon Hugo 'Pamela' Anderson (Beer Judge); Richard 'Ale Whale' Cable (Best Vintage - award assistant Jessame); Jaego 'Thor's Hammer' Cable (Best Label); Kate 'Arse, Drink, Feck, Cake' Smyth-Davys (Best Beer - award held by Hamilton); Richard 'Special Projects' Jones (Best Name), Rod 'Six To Win' Hardcastle (Best Pie); Rob ' Paul Hollywood' Betteridge (Pie Judge)

(If you have any pics to share, send them to me and I'll add them to the gallery)

Best beer (grand prix)
Blind tasting letter included as key to the accompanying image.

Click on the image to enlarge. Couldn't sort
the orientation - bloody Blogspot.

1. The Happy Beer (Kate Smyth-Davys) S
2. Hoppy Christmas (Big Gay Al) R
3. Santa Booze (Emma Willingale) M
= 4. Bunga Bunga Beer (Pippo Ajroldi) J
= 4. John Barleycorn's Blood (Paul Joyce) E
5. The Grinch (Richard Cable) G
6. Ruck Over (Myles Willingale) P
= 7. Fishpond Ale (Richard Jones) K
= 7. Beer-trude and Gris-ale-da (Rod Hardcastle) Q
= 7. Furback (Ewan Forrest) O

Best pie

1. Rod Hardcastle

Best vintage

1. Second Coming (Richard Cable)
Also placed equal 4th in the main compeition. Also only entrant in the Vintage category.

Best name

1. Fishpond Ale (Richard Jones)

Best label

1. The Grinch (Jaego Cable)


Prize winners and photos from the 2011 Beer Challenge [LINK]
Prize winners and photos from the 2010 Beer Challenge [LINK]
Prize winners and photos from the 2009 Beer Challenge [LINK] 

Prize winners and photos from the 2011 Beer Challenge

Another splendid day and another terrific turnout, with 15 beers in five different categories. I really hope you enjoyed it and many thanks to you all for yet another tremendous effort. You are a credit to the fine traditions of brewing and a towering example of can-do spirit.

Not only that, but we collectively raised £146 for disaster relief in Japan. That might not seem a lot when your country is ankle deep in radioactive seawater, but every little helps and thanks for your support.

Extra special thanks go to Hugo, our beer judge, a towering colossus of a man; Tony, the landlord of the Crown, a towering colossus of a Welshman; and Kate H, who narrowly escaped death in judging the ginger beer. She is neither towering, nor, according to our best intelligence, a man.

Happily we have full results this year, because although we did all get titanically drunk, someone less drunk than me remembered to pick them up. As usual, pics from the event are on Flickr (see link) and the placings are listed below. Cheers!

From left: Kate, Molly, Craig and Jen Hazledine (grand prix, label), Jaego, Richard and Jessame Cable (ginger beer, vintage), Hugo Anderson (judge), Oliver and Ben Smith (naturalised Brits) and Myles Willingale (freestyle, name)

Click here for the Flickrstream (photo gallery) of the event [LINK]

(If you have any pics to share, send them to me and I'll add them to the gallery)

Best beer (grand prix)
Blind tasting letter included as key to the accompanying image.

Hugo's notes: click to enlarge

1. Supporter (Craig Hazledine) D
2. Swing Low (Chris Greenwood) C
3. Penthouse Porter (Steve Dobson) J
= 4. Standard (Richard Cable) E
= 4. Sith Pith (Richard Cable) F
= 5. Bridge Over Troubled Porter (Richard Cable) G
= 5. Tastes Like Cole (Sean Parry) O
= 5. Coal (Big Gay Al Davis) H
6. Pebbledasher (Chris Mesney) B
7. Hugo Is (Not) Smashing (Kayte Cable) I
8. Will's Morning Glory (Myles Willingale) A


Best ginger beer

1. Mack the Nipper (Jaego and Jessame Cable)
= 2. Lillybell (Isabelle Willingale)
= 2. Giner (Tom Willingale)*
*Narrowly avoided disqualification for taking the judge's head off


Best vintage

1. Nutkin's Finger (Richard Cable)
2. I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Beer (Kayte Cable)
3. Beer (Sean Parry)
4. No Thanks I'm Driving (Richard Cable)
5. Romp of Runnymede (Big Gay Al Davis)*
*Notably last year's Grand Prix winner


Best name

1. Will's Morning Glory (Myles Willingale)
2. Bridge Over Troubled Porter (Richard Cable)
3. Sith Pith (Richard Cable)
= 4. Hugo Is (Not) Smashing (Kayte Cable)
= 4. Supporter (Craig Hazledine)
= 5. Tastes Like Cole (Sean Parry)
= 5. Coal (Big Gay Al Davis)
= 5. Swing Low (Chris Greenwood)
6. Penthouse Porter (Steve Dobson)
Unplaced: Standard (Richard Cable), Pebbledasher (Chris Mesney)


Best label

1. Supporter (Craig Hazledine)
2. Sith Pith (Richard Cable)
3. Bridge Over Troubled Porter (Richard Cable)
4. Will's Morning Glory (Myles Willingale)
= 5. Hugo Is (Not) Smashing (Kayte Cable)
= 5. Penthouse Porter (Steve Dobson)
= 5. Standard (Richard Cable)
= 5. Coal (Big Gay Al Davis)
Unplaced: Swing Low (Chris Greenwood), Tastes Like Cole (Sean Parry), Pebbledasher (Chris Mesney)


Best freestyle

1. Will's Morning Glory (Myles Willingale)

Prize winners and photos from the 2010 Beer Challenge [LINK]
Prize winners and photos from the 2009 Beer Challenge [LINK]

Prize winners and photos from the 2010 Beer Challenge

The results are a bit late and a bit incomplete, on account of the fact that I was a quite drunk by the end of the day and very probably threw away the deranged daubings that counted as score sheets for the labels and names. My bad. Happily, I still have Hugo's immaculate and complete score sheet for best beer, so I've listed first to third for labels/names, but included full results for best beer.

Really hope you enjoyed the day. For me, this picture of Big Gay Al winning best beer really captures the spirit of the occasion.

• Click here for the Flickrstream (photo gallery) of the event [LINK]

(If you have any pics to share, send them to me and I'll add them to the gallery)

Best beer
1. Romp of Runnymede (Big Gay Al Davis)
2. Tom Bell (Myles Willingale)
3. Goodhead (Kate Hazledine)
3. Raspbeery (Steve Dobson)
3. Beer (Sean Parry)
4. Frazzled Monkey (Max Parry Woodwhammer)
5. Hopocalyse (Craig Hazledine)
6. Tipsy Monkey (Max Parry Woodwhammer)
7. Rotund Yorkshire Sailor (Uzi)
7. I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Beer (Kayte Cable)
7. Yellow and Blue (Anna Rosell)
7. Haaneken (Nicole de Haan)
8. I Bit Off Terry Nutkins' Finger Mwah-ha-ha (Richard Cable)
8. Flyer's Folly (Phil Boast)
9. George's Best (Chris Greenwood)
9. Grumpy Monkey (Uli Kleinsteuber)
9. Ragged Rabbit (David John, Dan Crowley)


Best name
1. I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Beer (Kayte Cable)
2. Beer (Sean Parry)
3. Goodhead (Kate Hazledine)

Best label
1. Yellow and Blue (Anna Rosell)
2. Beer (Sean Parry, Ben Gilbey)
3. Ragged Rabbit (David John, Dan Crowley)

If you enjoyed the day, drop a comment in the comments section below. It only takes a minute!

• Click here for Thank You message [LINK]

Origins of the Chertsey Beer Challenge

The inaugural Chertsey Beer Challenge was held in 2009 and organised by the Chertsey Otters RFC, whose members came up with the idea during the dire England vs Ireland Six Nations match last year.

Having drunk a lot of beer, we reasoned: how difficult can it be to make your own? Not difficult at all, as it happens.

The idea behind the Challenge is for amateur/rank-beginner brewers to have a crack at making their own beer, and for that beer to be judged by a professional brewer who actually knows what he's talking about.

We expanded the competition to include 'Best name' and 'Best label' categories, because a decent beer always has a cracking name and a label to match. Plus, it encourages our brewers to make their beers a team effort and express the full range of their creativity. Or something.

In a fit of patriotism we decided it should be held annually on the nearest weekend to St George's Day.

The Beer Challenge is about having a go. All-comers - especially the under-represented female brewers among you - are welcome. And it's definitely the taking part that counts!

Prize winners and photos from the 2009 Beer Challenge

The final of the inaugural Chertsey St George's Day Beer Challenge was held on Sunday 26 February 2009. The standard of the entries, which included a Tudor butter beer and a late entry all the way from Argentina, was absolutely outstanding.


Photos from the day: http://www.flickr.com/photos/37893203@N08/sets/72157617404517676/ [LINK]

The Results
Best name

1. Floozing Flax Wench (Kayte Cable)
2. The Otterman Empire (Uli Kleinsteuber)
3. Blind Lynesman (Craig Hazledine)

Best label

1. Woodwammer (Ben Gilbey)
2. Dragon Slayer (Debbie Greenwood)
3. The Otterman Empire (Kate Lumsden)
Best beer

1. Willingale's Willing Ale (Myles Willingale) - 12 points (of 14 possible)
2. No Thanks I'm Driving (Richard Cable) - 12 points
3. B'George (Steve Dobson) - 11 points
4. Woodwammer (Sean Parry) - 11 points
5. Patricio's Beer (Patricio Zapata) - 10 points
6. Queen B (Big Gay Al Davis) - 9 points
7. The Otterman Empire (Uli Kleinsteuber) - 7 points
8. Blind Lynesman (Craig Hazeldine) - 7 points
9. Dragon Slayer (Chris Greenwood) - 6 points
10. The Unknown Soldier (Patrick Martin) - 5 points
11. Floozing Flax Wench (Kayte Cable) - Ungraded

Congratulations to everyone who took part. A fantastic day and a great standard all round!