All hail the ale at Norwich Cathedral prize ceremony

St Eds charity cheque presentation. L-R Warren Wordsworth, CAMRA chairman, Lorraine Bliss, chief executive of St Eds and Chris Thomas, CAMRA branch treasurer. (Image: Archant)

The Norwich and Norfolk branch of CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale) hosted its first prize ceremony at the Hostry of Norwich Cathedral.

Scores of the region's breweries were honoured, with the overall gold winner of the Cask Beers of Norfolk 2016 Awards named as Marmalade Cat, a copper ale brewer by the Fat Cat Brewery in Norwich.

Colin Keatley, of the Fat Cat Brewery, said he was 'over the moon' to receive the honour for the 5.5% beer, which was first brewed 12 years ago.

'I often get ribbed about what marmalade is in it, but that's a trade secret,' he joked. 'We've won awards for this beer at other festivals but this is the first gold, and it's in Norfolk.

'We're very happy. With City of Ale, Norwich is regarded as one of the best places to drink ale in the country, and Norfolk has a lot of good breweries that have won national and local awards.

'It's great to see some of the best beer in the country being recognised locally.'

The Humpty Dumpty Brewery in Reedham took silver with its Broadland Sunrise, and Norwich's Winters Brewery clinched bronze with its mild ale.

In the bottled beers of Norfolk 2016 category, the overall gold winner was Home by Christmas, brewed at the Poppyland Brewery in Cromer.

Winning beers are judged in a year-long series of tastings by volunteers from the Norwich and Norfolk CAMRA branch.

Norfolk taste panel chairman Alan Edwards said: 'I would like to thank the breweries for their support and my fellow tasters for their unfailing enthusiasm and dedication to tasting beer.'

Lorraine Bliss, chief executive of St Eds youth training charity, was presented with a cheque for £8,500 at the event.

The total was raised through donations given by the public at the 2015 Norfolk Beer Festival.

Special awards were presented to Dawn Hopkins as the branch's first Pub Champion in recognition of her work while a publican in Norwich.

This included addressing a parliamentary rally in London and, although now retired from the trade, she is still campaigning with national groups against unfair pub ties.

A second new award for Volunteer of the Year was awarded to Barry Delf who has volunteered for many years including organising beer festival transport and staying 'dry' during the long days setting up, re-stocking and taking down the festival.

Full list of winners:

Cask Beers of Norfolk 2016 awards:

Overall winner category:

Gold - Fat Cat Brewery Marmalade Cat

Silver - Humpty Dumpty Brewery Broadland Sunrise

Bronze - Winters Brewery Mild

Mild:

Gold - Winters Brewery Mild

Bitter:

Gold - Grain Brewery Oak

Best bitter:

Gold - Humpty Dumpty Brewery Broadland Sunrise

Strong bitter:

Gold - Fat Cat Brewery Marmalade Cat

Golden ale:

Gold - Lacons Brewery Encore

Stout:

Gold - Grain Brewery Blackwood Stout

Bottled Beers of Norfolk 2016 awards:

Overall winner category:

Gold - Poppyland Brewery Home By Christmas

Silver - Woodforde's Brewery Nelsons Revenge

Bronze - Elmtree Brewery Nightlight Mild

Mild, brown and old ale:

Gold - Elmtree Brewery Nightlight Mild

Bitter:

Gold - Woodforde's Brewery Nelson's Revenge

Silver - Elmtree Brewery Norfolk's 80 Shilling Ale

Strong bitter:

Gold - Grain Brewery IPA

Silver - Poppyland Brewery East Coast IPA

Golden ale:

Gold - Woodforde's Brewery Bure Gold

Silver - Why Not Brewery Hare Of The Dog

Speciality beer:

Gold - Elmtree Brewery Winter Solstice

Silver - Poppyland Brewery Elderflower Saison

Stout and porter:

Gold - Two Rivers Brewery Norfolk Stoat

Silver - Humpty Dumpty Brewery Porter

Bronze - Poppyland Brewery 10,000 Geese

Unique:

Gold - Poppyland Brewery Home By Christmas

Barley wine:

Gold- Woodforde's Brewery Headcracker

Champion Beer of East Anglia – Norfolk winners:

Bitters:

Gold - Woodforde's Wherry

Bronze - Jo C's Norfolk Kiwi

Golden ales:

Gold - Golden Triangle Mosaic City

Speciality ales:

Silver - St Peter's Grapefruit Beer

Old ales/ strong milds:

Silver - Woodforde's Norfolk Nog

Stouts:

Silver - Old Chimneys Good King Henry

Bronze - Elmtree Dark Horse