CHEERS! Two pals who set up their own brewery are toasting success – after appearing in a national beer bible.

Northern Monkey Brew Co based in Astley Bridge is one of 10 new breweries to be listed in this year’s Good Beer Guide — just over a year after it started brewing traditional ale.

And it is cheers to The Spinning Mule pub in Nelson Square which is also featured in the guide.

Business partners Ryan Bailey and Liam Convey set up Northern Monkey in July last year – and they are preparing to launch their sixth beer.

Ryan, aged 31, who works full time as a firefighter, said: “ I had no idea we are featured in this year’s Good Beer Guide. We both just like good beer and it started off as a hobby, but now we supply to pubs across Bolton and in Morecambe.”

Ryan, who set up the brewery in an extension in his house, said: “I have a very understanding wife. It was just a hobby but I suppose you brew better beer if you enjoy it.”

They produce nearly 300 pints a week and are excited about showcasing the range at their first bar when they move into The Link, the new retail and leisure venue due to open at the disused Bow Street car park.

Ryan, said: “We will be launching our new beer at the Beer School in Westhoughton. I will be using coffee beans from Cafe Dolce in Bolton — I like coffee.”

The book’s editor, Roger Protz, said: “It’s fantastic to see a continued growth in local brewing. The first edition of the Good Beer Guide published 45 years ago was a call to arms for beer lovers at a time when the brewing industry was in dire trouble and the market flooded with tasteless, fizzy beer.

“How the beer world has changed! Today, in spite of closures, a growing number of pubs clamber to offer the best-possible range of real ales and we are still seeing remarkable growth in the brewing sector.”

He added: “The Good Beer Guide 2018 recommends the best pubs in Britain for real ale drinkers. The guide is compiled through independent judgement and recommendations, meaning pubs are chosen on merit alone rather than being charged for an entry, as is the case with many other guides. If you have a passion for ale and want to know the best places to find it, then this book can be an invaluable resource for you.”

A CAMRA spokesman said: “The Spinning Mule deserves its place in the Good Beer Guide 2018. It is our belief that if a licensee serves an excellent pint of real ale, then everything else in the pub, including customer service, quality of food and atmosphere, are likely to be of an equally high standard.”

Pub manager Robert Burgess added: “I am delighted that The Spinning Mule has been recognised for the quality of its real ales by CAMRA members. We offer our customers an excellent range of real ales at all times, including those from regional brewers and microbrewers, as well as hostingour own beer festivals.”

“Staff at the pub work hard to ensure that the real ales on offer are kept in first-class condition at all times and the pub’s inclusion in the guide highlights this.”