Sensational festival hat-trick for Skinner's

l Steve Skinner (left) celebrates his breweries triumph with Falmouth beer festival organiser and brewery liaison officer Gerry Wills

October 22, 2005: A Cornish brewery has broken records at the Falmouth Beer Festival by taking all three top prizes in the beer of the festival contest.

Betty Stogs, a four per cent ABV bitter made by Skinner's, of Truro, was named supreme champion by a panel of independent judges, following a blind tasting at the Princess Pavilion, Falmouth.

But the brewery also took the runner-up prize and the bronze position with respectively, its Heligan Honey speciality beer and Figgy's Brew best bitter.

The beers were judged against all the other ones at the festival - 121 brews in total.

"I'm just amazed," said Steve Skinner, Skinner's managing director, who has attended the prize-giving at the festival for several years without luck, despite a string of awards at other events nationwide.

This year, he was unable to make it to the announcement ceremony - and scooped a haul of awards. Indeed, it is possible that no brewery has ever taken the top three prizes at a festival where all the participating beers are judged.

"To win 'at home' is fantastic," he added. "It means an awful lot to us as a brewery."

The festival, organised by the Cornwall branch of the Campaign for Real Ale, runs throughout today until 11pm and tomorrow from noon until 4pm - if there's any beer left!

Last night that looked increasingly unlikely as crowds packed in the Princess Pavilion and bus companies reported crowding on services into Falmouth.

The event was opened by the Rev Barrington Bennetts, landlord of the Seven Stars, Falmouth, which features annually in the Good Beer Guide and is listed as a CAMRA national heritage pub because of its timeless charm.

On December 5, Mr Bennetts, who was ordained as a priest 13 years ago, will celebrate 30 years as landlord of the pub, which he took over from his father. He has been behind the bar at the Seven Stars for 53 years.

"During that time the pub has kept me," said Mr Bennetts. "I have not kept the pub."

He clearly enjoys the occupation. "A pub is a pub because of the customers that come in as well as the manager," he said. "It's been a privilege to be behind that bar."

Results

Sessions beers: 1, Skinner's Betty Stogs; 2, Woodforde's Wherry; 3, Tom Woods Shepherd's Delight. Best bitters: 1, Skinner's Figgy's Brew; 2, St Austell Tribute; 3, Cairngorm Trade Winds. Premium bitters: 1, Archer's Crystal Clear; 2, Blue Anchor Special; 3, Sharp's Atlantic IPA. Dark beers: 1, Wychwood Hobgoblin; 2, Coach House Gunpowder Mild; 3, Brain's Dark. Speciality beers: 1, Skinner's Heligan Honey; 2, Skinner's Cornish Blonde; 3, Harviestoun Schiehallion.