AN independent brewer today revealed his success story could mean he has to work on Christmas Day to keep pubs stocked with a festive tipple.

Robert Bell, 42, runs Three B's in Feniscowles, Blackburn -- one of the smallest breweries in the country -- and has a hit on his hands with his new Christmas brew -- Santa's Skinful.

Robert estimates he will be shifting 100 firkins -- a container which holds nine gallons -- to the pubs he supplies over Christmas, that's the equivalent of 7,200 pints!

And Robert could be out on Christmas day filling the pumps of East Lancashire should he get the call.

Contrary to other popular Christmas ales which have been known to go up to seven per cent alcohol by volume, Santa's Skinful is a mild four per cent.

Robert said: "Every other brewery has been putting strong beers on.

"But pubs asked me for a mild beer and that is what Santa's Skinful is. It's a ruby coloured, refreshing beer and its been going down really well.

"The first batch went out last week and the second one is due to go out this week."

Robert, a father-of-two, took redundancy in September 2001 from steel giant Corus in Blackburn where he had worked as a project engineer for 10 years.

Helped by a small grant and a £10,000 loan guarantee from Blackburn with Darwen Council, he invested in new brewing equipment and premises.

From the original premises in Hamilton Street which could only cram in 12 to 15 people at most, Robert moved to the new brewery premises in Stockclough Lane, where he works on his own.

Three Bs Brewery is listed in CAMRA'S Good Beer Guide 2002 and he even designs and prints the signs that go on the beer pumps.

Robert's regular beers have all been named with references to Blackburn's once-proud textile industry.

Robert said: "The demand has been there. People are asking for more and more.

"I have been trying to break out of Blackburn too, with some interest being shown in Preston and some ion Bolton.

"It is a gradual progression but production is slowly creeping up."

And Robert said that his brew was going down so well he may have to be on call over the Christmas period, to the annoyance of wife Wendy, should an emergency happen and the pumps run dry.

"If anyone has no beer then I will be on call-out. As long as it's not on Christmas day as my wife will kill me!" he joked.