Fuller's Master Cellarman award

l Best cellar: John Roberts (left), managing director of Fuller's, and John Keeling (right), Fuller's head brewer congratulate the firm's Master Cellarman of the Year, Ben Bagguley

October 28, 2006: Ben Bagguley, manager of The Jugged Hare in Victoria, has been named the winner of Fuller's 2006 Master Cellarman of the Year competition.

Ben beat nearly 100 other Fuller's master cellarmen to the title, which is judged on all aspects of beer quality, from the barrel to the glass.

John Roberts, managing director of Fuller's, said: "It is incredibly difficult to attain master cellarman status in the first place, let alone become the best, so Ben's achievement is no mean feat.

"Cellarmanship is a skill, and Ben has it down to a fine art. His customers get a pint as it should be served - at cellar temperature, in a clean, clear glass and with a smile. It's the best pint in London."

John Keeling, Fuller's head brewer, added; "The difficulty we have with real ale is that too many people still assume it is flat and warm. The situation we have to avoid is people getting a real ale that fits that description.

"As London's only remaining traditional real ale brewer, it's up to us to make sure that doesn't happen. Believe me, if you order a pint of London Pride or Discovery in The Jugged Hare it will be lively, cool and refreshing and will leave you relishing your next one."