BOSSES at an East Lancashire brewery have enjoyed a successful year after scooping 11 awards.

Blackburn-based Thwaites has won awards for six of its ales in a variety of awards ceremonies both at home and abroad.

And the Penny Street firm narrowly missed out an a 12th accolade, when Janet Wallace was shortlisted for the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers’ business manager of the year award earlier this month.

The awards won by Thwaites this year were:

  • Pub champion at the British Beer and Pub Association awards.
  • Gold in the drinks packaging category for its Signature Range at the Design Effectiveness Awards.
  • Best tenanted/leased pub company with more than 200 sites at The Publican Awards.
  • Lancaster Bomber won silver medal in the pale ales and bitter category at the International Beer Challenge (IBC).
  • Bronze in the golden ale category at the IBC for Triple C.
  • Tavern Porter won the IBC’s bronze medal in the porter category.
  •  The porter also won gold in the porter category at the Belgium Beer Competition and European Beer Star awards.
  • Old Dan won bronze medals in both the old ales and packaging design categories of the IBC.
  • Nutty Black was named the world’s best dark mild and Europe’s best dark mild at the World Beer Awards.
  • Europe’s best golden ale for Wainwright, also at the World Beer Awards.

Ian Bearpark, brewing director at Thwaites, said: “The pleasing aspect is seeing these 11 awards spread across a number of our beers, demonstrating we have strength in depth.

“If you take a look at some of the beers we have beaten into second and third place, you have to stand back and raise a glass in recognition of the fantastic job our brewing team is doing across the board.”