A multi-award-winning Mid Wales brewery has been making Mischief at CAMRA ‘s 2025 Champion Bottled Beer of Britain Awards!
Montgomery-based Monty’s Brewery won a silver medal for its beloved 5% golden ale, Mischief, which was first brewed in 2010.
The awards, held as part of the prestigious Great British Beer Festival, are regarded as one of the highest honours in British brewing. Unlike many other competitions, the awards are unique in that beers are nominated and voted for by beer drinkers themselves, not breweries.
Each beer goes through rigorous rounds of regional judging before making it to the national stage, where blind tastings are conducted to determine the winners.
Monty’s Mischief was created as a nod to traditional British IPAs – flavourful, balanced and deceptively easy to drink. Its smooth character and moreish quality earned the ale its mischievous name, often ‘sneaking up’ on those who enjoy one too many.
Christine Cryne, of CAMRA, highlighted the significance of the win during the ceremony: “This story is close to my heart. A female brewer, who learned her trade at Brewlab, created a recipe which has gone on to win Silver Medal for bottled Mischief.”
Monty’s co-founder Pam Honeyman, who collected the award on behalf of the team, said: “This is an incredibly proud moment not just for me, but for Kate, our head practical brewer and the entire Monty’s team. The recognition of more female brewers in the industry is long overdue and to have Mischief celebrated in this way means the world to us.”
The award win is just the latest milestone in what has been a period of strong growth and renewed momentum for Monty’s Brewery.
In 2024, Monty’s secured investment from Mike Harris, a hugely successful entrepreneur with a proven track record of scaling independent businesses while maintaining their authenticity and local roots.
Since then, Monty’s has expanded its production capacity, allowing for greater distribution across Wales and into new markets in England and enhanced its branding and digital presence, including a revitalised website and new content highlighting the people and stories behind each brew.
The brewery has also invested in community outreach and events, reconnecting with loyal customers and bringing Monty’s beers to new audiences through pop-ups, local partnerships and food and drink festivals.
In addition, the brewery has developed innovative offerings, including portable bars and interactive taproom experiences to showcase Monty’s beers in a modern, accessible format
This investment has also allowed the team to focus on quality-driven innovation – refining recipes, optimising brewing techniques and creating new brews that continue to honour Monty’s tradition while embracing the future of craft beer.
“The support from Mike has been transformative,” said Pam.” It’s allowed us to take our ambition to the next level, without compromising who we are. We’re still the same hands-on, passionate team, but with more capacity to share what we love with even more people.”
Founded in 2009 by Pam and husband Russ, Monty’s Brewery has grown from a small rural set-up into one of Wales’ most respected independent breweries. Known for its gluten-free options, award-winning ales and commitment to quality, Monty’s beers can be found in pubs, shops and homes across the UK.
From best-selling favourites like Dark Secret, to refreshing brews like Sunshine and the now award-winning Mischief, Monty’s continues to blend tradition with innovation.
