A lot of care goes into every batch we produce
From a small brewery in Oldbury, Western Australia, a pale ale has risen to claim the highest honour in Australia's national beer competition — a result that speaks not only to one brewer's craft, but to an entire region's quiet ascent. King Road Brewing Co's Champion Beer win at the Perth Royal Food Awards arrives as Western Australia's 120-plus breweries assert themselves as a genuine force in a national landscape of over 600 producers. And beneath the celebration of traditional styles, a deeper shift is underway: Australians are rethinking their relationship with alcohol itself, with zero-alcohol beer now commanding a tenth of the market.
- A pale ale from a small Oldbury brewery defeated hundreds of national entries to claim Champion Beer — a sweep that included best packaged pale ale and best IPA.
- Western Australia's breweries didn't just compete — they dominated, with Campus, Lucky Bay, and Rocky Ridge each claiming Champion titles across brewery size categories.
- Judges noted an exceptionally high standard across both traditional and experimental styles, reflecting a regional craft scene that has matured well beyond its experimental origins.
- Alcohol-free beer forced its way into the spotlight with a dedicated new trophy category, as zero-alcohol sales have more than doubled since 2020 and now represent 10% of the Australian market.
- The awards signal a consumer culture in transition — one where mastery of the classic pint and the rise of the non-alcoholic raspberry sour can coexist on the same winner's podium.
King Road Brewing Co, based in Oldbury, has claimed Champion Beer at the Perth Royal Food Awards — Australia's prestigious national competition — with their pale ale outlasting hundreds of entries judged blind. Head brewer Steve Wearing described it as hugely rewarding, crediting the care put into every batch. The brewery also took home trophies for best packaged pale ale and best packaged IPA, a three-win sweep that announced Western Australia's arrival at the top of the national craft beer conversation.
But the story was bigger than one brewery. Across the 482-entry competition, WA producers dominated. Campus Brewing claimed three trophies and the Champion Medium Brewery title. Rocky Ridge took Champion Large. Lucky Bay took Champion Small. CBCo Brewing also featured among the multiple winners. With more than 120 breweries now operating statewide — part of a national total exceeding 600 — Western Australia is no longer an emerging scene. It is a powerhouse.
Chief judge Dan Feist praised the remarkably high standard across both traditional and experimental styles, a breadth reflected in winners ranging from Eagle Bay's West Coast Pilsner to Nail Brewing's Clout Stout and Margaret River Beer Co's Kolsch. What the awards also captured, however, was a shift in what drinkers want. A new trophy category for alcohol-free beer was introduced this year, won by Boston Brewing Company's Little Wren non-alcoholic raspberry sour. Zero-alcohol beer sales in Australia have more than doubled since 2020 and now account for roughly 10 per cent of the market — no longer a niche, but a defining trend reshaping the industry.
King Road Brewing Co, tucked away in Oldbury, has just claimed the highest honour at the Perth Royal Food Awards—their pale ale named Champion Beer after judges worked through hundreds of entries from across the country. It's the kind of win that doesn't happen by accident. The brewery, which sells its beer both directly and through liquor retailers, didn't stop there. They also took home trophies for best packaged pale ale and best packaged IPA, a sweep that signals something larger about Western Australia's place in the national craft beer conversation.
Steve Wearing, the head brewer, called it an incredible result. "A lot of care goes into every batch we produce," he said, "so to have our pale ale recognised like this is hugely rewarding." That care shows. The Perth Royal Food Awards drew 482 entries across dozens of categories—lagers, IPAs, stouts, and a new frontier of alcohol-free brews. The judging was blind, which means the beer had to speak for itself.
But King Road's dominance wasn't the only story. Western Australia's breweries came to play. Campus Brewing walked away with three trophies. CBCo Brewing, Lucky Bay Brewing, and Rocky Ridge Brewing Company all claimed multiple wins. Rocky Ridge was crowned Champion Large Brewery. Campus took Champion Medium. Lucky Bay took Champion Small. The state's craft beer sector, with more than 120 breweries operating across it, is cementing itself as a genuine powerhouse—part of a national landscape that now includes more than 600 breweries.
What struck the judges most, though, was the shift happening in what people actually want to drink. Alcohol-free beer surged into the spotlight this year with a new trophy category introduced specifically for the category. Boston Brewing Company won it with their Little Wren non-alcoholic raspberry sour. The numbers tell the story: zero-alcohol beer sales in Australia have more than doubled since 2020 and now account for roughly 10 per cent of the market. That's not a niche anymore. That's a trend.
Chief judge Dan Feist noted the overall standard was remarkably high. "The standard this year was incredibly strong across both traditional and experimental styles," he said. The awards reflected that breadth—from West Coast Pilsner at Eagle Bay Brewing to Homestead Brewing's Saint Isidore Saison, from Nail Brewing's Clout Stout to Margaret River Beer Co's Kolsch. The list reads like a map of Western Australia's brewing ambition. What emerges is a region that has moved well beyond the early days of craft beer experimentation into genuine mastery, where a brewery in a small town can compete against the best in the country and win.
Notable Quotes
Winning Champion Beer is an incredible result for our team. A lot of care goes into every batch we produce, so to have our pale ale recognised like this is hugely rewarding.— Steve Wearing, head brewer at King Road Brewing Co
The standard this year was incredibly strong across both traditional and experimental styles.— Dan Feist, chief judge
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
What does it mean for a regional brewery to win Champion Beer at a national competition like this?
It means the beer is objectively excellent by a rigorous standard. Hundreds of entries, blind judging—there's nowhere to hide. King Road's pale ale beat everything else in the room.
Why does Western Australia seem to be dominating right now?
There's a critical mass of serious brewers here. Over 120 operating across the state. When you have that many people focused on craft, you get competition, knowledge-sharing, and a culture that rewards quality. It's not luck.
The alcohol-free beer trend—is that a threat to traditional breweries or an opportunity?
It's both. It's a threat if you ignore it. But it's also an expansion of the market. Boston Brewing won a trophy for their non-alcoholic sour. That's a new customer base, new occasions, new reasons to drink beer.
Do you think the blind judging actually changes the outcome?
Absolutely. It removes every bias except taste. No label recognition, no brand loyalty, no story. Just what's in the glass. That's why winning here matters—it's pure.
What does King Road's sweep—three trophies—tell you about their operation?
Consistency. They didn't win one category by accident. They won pale ale, IPA, and the overall championship. That suggests a brewery that understands their craft deeply and executes it repeatedly.