THE Hop Back Brewery's bottled Entire Stout has won its second major award in just over a month.

At the Brewing Industry International Awards, held at the Guildhall in London at the end of last month, the Downton company's Entire Stout won a bronze medal in the dark bottled beers category.

"We are really delighted with this latest award," said the brewery's John Gilbert.

"Entire Stout has only been available in bottle since last autumn, but is building a reputation as a very appealing and refreshing stout among discerning beer lovers."

In April it was awarded a gold medal for best bottled beer by the Small Independent Brewers Association.

The Hop Back Brewery has won many awards.

GFB (Gilbert's First Brew) won the supreme champion trophy at the Brewing Industry International Awards in 1996 and Summer Lightning, the brewery's flagship beer, was runner-up Supreme Champion Beer of Britain in 2001.

Mr Gilbert, who founded the Hop Back Brewery in 1987, is being appointed executive chairman at the end of September.

For the last five years he has been joint managing director with Richard Harvey, who now assumes overall responsibility for the day-to-day management of the company.

"This decision was taken by the board to coincide with the retirement this September of Jim Carew, our long serving non-executive chairman," said Mr Gilbert.

"I am interested in being able to devote more time to the product development aspect of our business and our future long term direction.

"In Richard's very capable hands the company will be managed with great efficiency and we all look forward to sustained strong growth as demand for our beers continues to build."

The Hop Back Brewery has an estate of 11 pubs, a strong free trade customer base across the country and a rapidly expanding bottled beer business in the off-licence and supermarket sectors.

It has just launched its cask-conditioned beer Summer Lightning in a five-litre party can or mini-cask.

"The beer undergoes a little more conditioning in the brewery, unlike the pub trade draught version, but still delivers a fantastic real ale taste in the glass," said Mr Gilbert.

"This means that the beer is able to avoid going through the chilled supply chain, unlike some other real ales in mini-cask.

"Summer Lightning also has a much longer shelf life of up to 12 months prior to opening," he added.