Freelance whisky writer Dominic Roskrow has been named consumer magazine editor of the year in the prestigious Off Licence News Awards.

Freelance whisky writer Dominic Roskrow has been named consumer magazine editor of the year in the prestigious Off Licence News Awards.

The award was made for the Christmas edition of Whiskeria, the magazine Mr Roskrow edits for The Whisky Shop retailing chain, at a glitzy awards evening at the Dorchester Hotel, London. He lives at Morley St Botolph, and in 2006 received the Scotch whisky industry's highest honour when he was made a Keeper of the Quaich.

Whiskeria is produced in partnership with East Anglian publishing giants Archantdialogue. Twenty five thousand copies of the 36- page Christmas edition were printed and distributed free to customers throughout the 13-strong Whisky Shop estate.

Praised for its accessibility and high editorial standards, it beat off a challenge from magazines and websites published by leading supermarkets and independent stores.

'We are delighted,' said Whisky Shop chief executive Ian Bankier. 'We have always aimed to bring whisky to the High Street by demystifying it and offering customers clear and helpful assistance. Dominic's writing is well suited to this approach. He is building a strong reputation for no nonsense whisky writing and we are delighted that through Whiskeria this has been recognized.'

The award is the latest good news for the Whisky Shop which bucked High Street trends and had a record Christmas trading period despite deciding against discounting. Sales for January across the estate are also more than 20 per cent up year on year.

The Whisky Shop has confirmed that it has agreed with Archantdialogue to produce two magazines this year, and work has already started on an edition for early May in the run up to Father's Day.