World Beer Awards Visitor Attraction of the Year
Interior shot of The Monk’s Retreat pub within Belhaven Brewery
The Monk’s Retreat
The Belhaven Brewery Visitor Experience has received one of the highest accolades available at this year’s prestigious World Beer Awards. The brewery beat stiff global competition to scoop the ‘Visitor Attraction of the Year’ title in the competition’s inaugural Icons of Beer sector.
The success didn’t stop there though, with our Scottish Oat Stout stealing the show on the night when it was crowned the ‘World’s Best Oatmeal Stout’ after winning ‘UK’s best Oat Stout’ earlier in August.
Presented by the World Beer Awards, Icons of Beer was launched this year to celebrate every aspect of the global beer industry. From brew masters and ambassadors, to retailers and breweries, it honours those who have worked tirelessly to produce and promote the beer we all love. All entrants were assessed by a panel of industry experts, writers and competition judges.
Our Visitor Experience was opened in November 2021 to showcase the history of Scotland’s oldest working brewery. Visitors can learn about the process of brewing, relax in our secret garden, enjoy tutored tastings and receive a personalised pint in our pub, The Monk’s Retreat.
Image of “The Haven”, part of the Belhaven Brewery tour where visitors learn about the history of Belhaven and production of our beers
The Haven
Fiona Matheson, Brand Manager said:
“We are beyond thrilled to win not one, but two awards at such a key global competition. Creating our Visitor Centre was a huge team effort and the award really does pay testament to the passion and dedication that went in to creating the attraction.
Our Brewery has such a long, rich history and we hope that winning this award will really put it on the map internationally. There is nothing that we enjoy more than welcoming beer enthusiasts through our doors and letting them discover the people, place and products that make up Belhaven for themselves.”
Steven Sturgeon, Marketing Controller said:
“We set out with an ambition to create a genuinely immersive experience that complements the beauty of our brewery and the classic Scottish beers brewed here. I am so proud of the team and their achievement in such a short space of time.”