Melton Mowbray’s Round Corner Brewing has been crowned UK Brewer of the Year after every single beer it entered into a major international competition won a medal.
It’s been a pretty good week for beer lovers in the East Midlands.
Independent brewery Round Corner Brewing, based in Melton Mowbray, has been named Brewer of the Year: UK at the International Beer Challenge 2026, one of the biggest competitions on the global brewing calendar.
Even more impressively, the brewery achieved a perfect scorecard, with all five of its entries picking up medals.
Three beers, Steeplechase Pale Ale, 10 Hours in LA Pacific Pale Ale and Frisby Lager, were awarded Gold, while Drovers Hazy Session IPA and Hopping Spree West Coast IPA took home Bronze medals.
The achievement puts the East Midlands brewer in rare company. Round Corner’s three Gold medals were among just 39 awarded across the competition’s international Taste Awards, which attracted entries from more than 30 countries.
For anyone familiar with the brewery’s range, the results reflect exactly what has made Round Corner one of the region’s most respected independent producers. From crisp lagers to hop-forward pale ales and IPAs, the winning beers showcase the breadth of styles being brewed in the heart of Melton Mowbray.
“This is an extraordinary result for our team,” said co-founder and managing director Colin Paige.
“To enter five beers and see every one come home with a medal is an extraordinary result for our team. Three Golds would have made us immensely proud on their own; to be named Brewer of the Year: UK makes this a landmark moment for Round Corner and for everyone in Melton who has supported us.”
Head brewer Lara Lopes said the recognition reflects the work of the entire brewery team.
“What makes this result particularly rewarding is that the five medals span a real mix of styles,” Lopes said.
“From lager and pale ale to IPA, it’s recognition of the work that goes into every beer we brew. There are a lot of people behind each one, from development and brewing through to packaging, pouring and getting the beer out into the world, so this belongs to the whole team.”
For a brewery that has quietly built a reputation far beyond Leicestershire, the latest awards suggest the secret might finally be out.
The verdict? If you’ve not yet made the trip to Round Corner Brewing’s Melton Mowbray taproom, now might be the perfect excuse. After all, Britain’s newly crowned Brewer of the Year is right here in the East Midlands.
