An Isle of Wight brewery is ‘blown away and delighted’ after striking gold at a prestigious national beer award, with its Pale Ale being named one of the best in the region.

The Pilot Boat Inn, Bembridge-based Wight Knuckle Brewery was founded in 2021 by brothers Fergus and Edward and dad George Bristow with the aim to bring craft, modern beer to the Island.  

The Island brewery’s Pale Ale clinched the prestigious Gold Award in the South East of England Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) Independent Beer Awards 2023.

Wight Knuckle Brewery’s Pale Ale stood out among the competition, recognised as one of the UK’s leading beer contests, scoring an impressive 90 out of 100 with the independent award’s judging panel.

The Bottle & Can Independent Beer Awards assesses beers based on international style guides, evaluating key aspects such as appearance, aroma, flavour, aftertaste and saleability.

Neil Walker, SIBA Head of Commons, commended this year’s winners: “This year’s competition was our biggest ever, including seven regions of the UK and hundreds of individual beers.

“The expert judging panel only gives awards where deserved, so the winners listed really are the very best beers in the region.”

Fergus Bristow, co-founder of Wight Knuckle Brewery, said: “We are honestly blown away and delighted to receive this recognition.

“For a new brewery, only a couple of years old, to achieve a gold award is a huge testament to the work James, our head brewer, has done in creating a world-class recipe and an outstanding beer.

Island craft beer has a huge amount to offer and it is amazing to see our produce standing up against the best the mainland has to offer."