This competition is open to all UK brewers, but they do not have to formally enter themselves, as all breweries are automatically considered (other CAMRA qualifying criteria apply).

The Campaign uses our beer style categories which are not necessarily those that the brewery use – we are a consumer organisation and do not market any individual beer, except for our Award Winners!

The current CAMRA Beer Style Categories are as follows:-

1. Mild Ales, up to and including 4.0% ABV.
2. Session Bitters, up to and including 4.3% ABV.
3. Premium Bitters, 4.4% - 6.4% ABV.
4. Session Pale, Blond and Golden Ales, up to and including 4.3% ABV.
5. Premium Pale, Blond and Golden Ales, 4.4% - 6.4%.
6. British and New World India Pale Ales, 5.5% ABV and above.

7. Brown and Red Ales, Old Ales and Strong Milds, up to ABV 6.4%.
8. Session Stouts and Porters, up to and including 4.9% ABV.
9. Premium Stouts and Porters, including Imperial Stouts and Baltic Porters, 5.0% ABV and above.
10. Barley Wines and Strong Ales, 6.5% ABV and above.
11. Speciality Beers – Differently Produced, (lagers, pilsners, Marzens, Kolsch, wheat beers, sours, saisons, wood-aged beers, smoked).
12. Speciality Beers – Flavoured (fruit (syrup or extracts), herbs, spices, culinary ingredients).

Also included in separate categories are are Real Ale In Bottle - Session and Real Ale In Bottle - Premium as two other categories.

How the Competition Runs

CAMRA Members are invited to vote for their favourite beers in each style category, usually between the 1st September and 1st November each year. CAMRA Regional CBOB Coordinators then collate the results to produce up to eight beers in each category. At the same time, CAMRA beer festivals are asked to volunteer to hold blind-judging competitions at their festivals for specific beer styles. This produces the Regional Beer Style Winners (first, second and third in a Beer Style). If you wish to vote, please visit CBOB VOTING when open, or scan the QR code on the attached picture. NOTE Voting is now closed and re-opens again on 1st September 2024.

The Gold Award Winners from these regional heats then go forwards to the final CBOB blind-judging competition held at the Great British Beer Festival (GBBF) in August (beer styles one to six above) which are joined by the three placed finalists at GBBFW. The Winter beers styles (beer styles seven to twelve above) are judged at the Great British Beer Festival Winter (GBBFW) in February. The bottled beer styles may be judged at either GBBF or GBBFW, depending on circumstances. Blind Judging means exactly that – each beer is individually given a unique ID Code on the jug. No judges will know what the beer actually is until the results are announced!
Please Note: Just because a beer has been ordered for GBBF or GBBFW, it does not mean that they are in the CBOB Competition Finals! We have over 800 beers, ciders and perries, and foreign beers on offer for the public to enjoy!

CBOB Supreme Champion Beer of Britain

At GBBF, there will be six beer styles judged on the same day, it may also include bottled beers in addition, which takes time. Judging will begin early/mid-morning and will continue until mid-afternoon when the final results are announced during the Trade Session at GBBF on the Tuesday. As previously stated, each category winner (awarded Gold in each Category) goes forward to the final judging, and are joined by the three placed GBBFW winners, for the Award of Supreme Champion Beer of Britain (Gold, Silver and Bronze).