St Austell Brewery has been crowned Pub Champions 2018 at one of the UK drinks industry's biggest nights out.

The British Beer & Pub Awards (BBPA) at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington recognises outstanding achievements by key individuals in the business.

The Pub Champion award is given to the company that has worked consistently to secure pubs for future generations to enjoy in a constantly changing market.

Picking up the award, St Austell Brewery chief executive James Staughton said: "This is an amazing accolade which rounds off another fantastic year for us. We have already received the Queen’s Award for sustainability and being crowned Pub Champions by our industry peers is true validation of the efforts St Austell Brewery is making to ensure that this bastion of British culture – the local pub – remains a vibrant, relevant and successful one.”

Brigid Simmonds, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said: “I am delighted St Austell Brewery have been awarded the BBPA Pub Champion 2018 Award. St Austell Brewery have continued investing in their award-winning estate of pubs and hotels ensuring local communities have somewhere to meet. They have also forged strong links to local schools and colleges - including a Chefs Academy at Truro College – to inspire young talent to look at careers in the pub industry.

"The BBPA Annual Awards serve to highlight the continued achievements of our industry and rewards the commitment to our sector and St Austell are a great example of both. As a visitor to their pubs I know how hard they work with their local communities and this award is very well deserved."

BBPA members are responsible for 90 percent of the beer brewed in Britain today and represent around 20,000 of the country’s pubs. They include international companies, family brewers such as St Austell Brewery, managed locals and the nation’s largest tenanted pub estates.

The BBPA is now more than 100 years old, having been founded in 1904, with the annual awards - now in their seventh year - just one of the initiatives that help celebrate the success of one of the country’s oldest industries.

Through its lobbying work and campaigns such as Long Live the Local, supported by St Austell Brewery, the British Beer & Pub Association champions issues that matter to lovers of British beer and the British pub.

For more information about the awards and the work of the BBPA visit www.beerandpub.com.