Two Bolton breweries swept the board at the Independent Beer Awards – with six gold medals between them.

Astley Bridge’s Bank Top Brewery scooped four gold medals and Horwich’s Blackedge Brewery won two in the Society of Independent Brewers’ (SIBA) North West Independent Beer Awards at Toughsheet Stadium.

Bank Top is Bolton’s oldest brewery, running for 30 years.

Its Flat Cap ale won two gold medals including the Overall Gold for cask beer.

Ben Sweeney, head brewer, said: “Flat Cap is our best-selling beer, but it has never won an award before.

“It has a tremendous following across the North West.

“We have people from South Manchester to the Lakes ringing up asking for it.

“I can see why. At 4 per cent, it’s a great session beer.

“It isn’t over the top. You can sit and drink it all afternoon.

“When I used to work in the pub, I couldn’t convince the regulars to try any of the other seven beers on tap.

“They have a real affection for it.”

Bank Top also took home two gold medals and one silver for its Pavilion Pale Ale and Herkules White Walker.

Ben said: “As a local brewery, it's fantastic to win on home turf here in Bolton.

“This year’s competitors had some of the best beers I've seen.

“The North West really has some of the best breweries in the country.”

Dave Sweeney and Ben SweeneyDave Sweeney and Ben Sweeney (Image: SIBA)

Bank Top was founded in 1995 and Ben’s father Dave has been running it for almost 20 years.

He was ecstatic about Flat Cap winning the gold.

Ben said: “My father was jumping around.

“I don't think I've ever seen him so happy.”

Horwich’s Blackedge Brewery also swept the competition, taking home two gold medals and four silvers.

Its 99 Red Balloons strawberry sour received an Overall Gold medal for keg beer.

And its India IPA won the gold in the cask IPA category.

Wayne Roper, the brewery’s director, said: “We are over the moon to have received awards for so many of our beers last week.

“Getting two gold medals for our cask and keg beers was a fantastic endorsement of our brewery team who work hard to make our product the best it can be.

“Our 99 Red Balloons strawberry sour is brand new. It was an incredible feat for it to win the Overall Gold.

“We were up against a number of fantastic breweries across the North West.

“It’s always rewarding when your beers win accolades.”

The SIBA Independent Beer Awards are run by and for brewers and are judged by fellow brewers from elsewhere in the UK, as well other representatives from the industry and expert beer judges – making these the much coveted ‘brewers’ choice’ awards in the North West.

The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) represents independent craft brewers across the UK, and all the winners of the North West Independent Beer Awards will now go on to the National Finals at the BeerX UK event in Liverpool, March 2025.