A Keswick brewery and bar which celebrates 18 years of operating in the town this year has picked up accolades for the ales it produces.
Sue Jefferson, who runs the Keswick Brewing Company and Fox Tap bar, was feeling heady after one of her bottled beers called Dark Horse won a coveted silver at the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) awards in Liverpool.
It had won its overall bottled beer category while a canned beer from the brewery called KSB (Keswick Special Bitter) had also reached the finals after winning its category.
Dark Horse (six per cent) started off as a Christmas beer that over the festive period is called First Noel. But it proved so popular that customers wanted to drink it throughout the seasons and for the rest of the year it is called Dark Horse.
KSB (4.8 per cent) has been brewed for around 15 years and is a rich and dark ale.
And to top off an excellent day, Sue learned on her way down to Liverpool that members of the West Cumbria branch of CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) had selected the Fox Tap bar as the Pub of the Year 2024.
The bar has a loyal following and usually there are half a dozen hand-pumped beers on sale plus a similar number of keg beers, all of which are brewed on site.
Most of the real ales are unfined — beer without finings which clear the beer by giving the yeast something to form clumps around — and they travel well.
The bar trades for 25 hours a week — Tuesday to Saturday from 2pm to 7pm.
The West Cumbria CAMRA webiste describes the Fox Tap as an extremely friendly bar and customers enjoy excellent service.
“We have now been in the Good Beer Guide for two years in a row and to get pub of the year as well is such an amazing thing,” said Sue. “We are really, really pleased. It’s testament to all the hard work that has been put in.”
As part of the 18th birthday celebrations, the Fox Tap will be starting up its brewery socials over Easter until the end of August.
And on Friday April 12 there will be a live music evening starting at around 5pm. The following day the brewery will celebrate with a special birthday beer and street food by Food From The Fells.
There will also be live music and new merchandise including a T-shirt and pint glass.
