A BREWER from Hale near Downton, who only set up his nano-brewery two years ago, has beaten 29 other competitors for the coveted title of Beer of the Festival.

Knightwood Oak, a 5% ABV chocolate porter produced by Paul Bartlett of the Dead Duck Brewery, managed to wow festival-goers at Summerfest – a beer and cider festival held by the Salisbury & South Wiltshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).

Paul, a teacher who brews in his spare time, said he was “blown away” when a party from Salisbury and South Wiltshire CAMRA paid him a visit and festivals co-ordinator Andrew Hesketh presented him with his first-ever winner’s certificate.

Paul started making beer in a flat in London after he was given a home brew kit as a Christmas present 10 years ago.

He was determined to make each successive brew better until it became, as his wife Louise put it, “a hobby that got out of control”.

When they moved to Hale to be nearer their respective families, the garage seemed the perfect building to convert into a small brewery using a two-barrel system.

“I thought that the brewery would never succeed so I gave it the name ‘Dead Duck’ as a joke,” said Paul.

“I am being proved wrong.”

He now brews a total of four beers and these are available at a number of pubs in the area, including The Horse and Groom in Woodgreen and the Royal Oak at Fritham.

Andrew Hesketh said: “Paul is an exceptionally talented brewer and our festival-goers, most of whom know a thing or two about beer, voted for this smooth chocolate porter by a considerable majority. We congratulate him.”

Paul sold out at a recent beer festival at The Cuckoo in Hamptworth.