Local brew is top of the hops

By [dsharp]

A beer brewed in Lincolnshire has been given top marks by drinkers across the East Midlands.

Batemans XXXB ran away with the most votes in a poll of consumers.

Regulars across 20 Castle Rock pubs voted for their favourite beer.

Batemans took the top spot with 28 per cent of the 1,100 votes, ahead of 23 other brews.

Voting was conducted over the autumn. Drinkers nominated their favourites from a selection of hundreds of beers made available throughout the year.

The Golden Eagle, in Lincoln's High Street, was one of the pubs involved in the voting for the award.

Landlord Pete Harris says that he was not surprised by the result. "XXXB is a cracking beer and we expected it to win," he said.

"Our punters go through a lot of it. It's just a very good quality, local beer so everyone knew what the result would be."

Batemans Brewery, based in Wainfleet, near Skegness, is one of the oldest family-owned breweries in the country. It was founded in 1874.

Mr Harris said he thought the beer's origin "definitely helped" towards its popularity.

Batemans managing director Stuart Bateman said  they were delighted to be named as favourite.

"It's the only competition like this where the drinking public has the sole right to vote," he said.

Find out more about the secrets of the brew in Wednesday's Lincolnshire Echo