Cairngorm Brewery wins silver in CAMRA's Champion Beer of Britain 2026

Cairngorm Brewery put Aviemore on the podium again as Wildcat, its 5.1% premium bitter, won silver in CAMRA’s Champion Beer of Britain 2026 at the Cambridge Beer Festival on May 21.

The result matters well beyond one medal. CAMRA describes Champion Beer of Britain as its highest honour, and the competition has run since 1978, with winners emerging from a two-year judging process that starts with member nominations and volunteer tasting panels before moving through regional competitions and a blind final. For brewers trying to stand out in a crowded market, Cairngorm’s showing suggested that repeatability still wins.

Wildcat also took Gold in the Premium Bitter category, while Cairngorm’s Black Gold claimed Gold in Session Stouts and Porters. Black Gold, at 4.4% ABV, has already built a serious record of its own: it won the overall Champion Winter Beer of Britain title in 2025 and has been named Champion Beer of Scotland four times. Cairngorm said its category golds were repeated for a second year running, a sign that the brewery is not relying on one-off judges’ luck.

This year’s overall competition featured 12 category finalists, and Cairngorm was the sole Scottish brewery among them. The overall Gold went to Bristol Beer Factory’s Independence, a 4.6% beer, while Bronze went to Driftwood Spars’ Alfie’s Revenge at 6.5%. In that company, Cairngorm’s silver read less like a consolation prize and more like confirmation that the brewery’s house approach is firmly in the national conversation.

That approach was summed up by CAMRA judging coordinator Christine Cryne, who described Wildcat as balanced, with toffee, malt, hops and orange aromas, then dark orange marmalade, honey and a dry bitter finish. It is the sort of profile that rewards clarity of recipe and tight process control, especially in a style like premium bitter where sweetness, bitterness and aroma all have to land in the right order.

Cairngorm managing director Samantha Faircliff called the result “absolutely brilliant” and credited head brewer Liam Anderson and the Aviemore team for their consistency and quality. In a year when many breweries are under pressure, Cairngorm’s silver, paired with two category golds, showed that disciplined brewing and a defined house character still carry real weight on the CAMRA stage.