THE Best Brewer category celebrates ales, lagers and stout which are brewed in Herefordshire.

The finalists in this category are: Swan Brewery and Wobbly Brewing Company.

Swan Brewery in Leominster is a successful business, run by husband and wife team, Gill Bullock and Jimmy Swan.

Permanent cask ales are Swan Gold 4%, a refreshing golden ale, and Ruffled Feathers 3.8%, a crisp, bright ale, plus two seasonal specials.

A selection of ales is available in bottles.

Gill and Jimmy are committed to a sustainable approach to their brewing business; this has been recognised with their receipt of the Society of Independent Brewers Green Business of the Year award.

Gill said: "All our ales are brewed with water, malted barley, hops and yeast. The water is Leominster water which undergoes burtonisation, the addition of gypsum to bring it to the perfect level of hardness for the brewing process.

"The barley is grown in the east of England which is where the best brewing barley is raised. About 80 per cent of the hops that we brew with are grown in Herefordshire, from hop yards in Dilwyn, Ashperton, Bosbury and Munderfield, for example.

"Locally grown hop varieties include Fuggles, Goldings, Instone, Olicana, Cascade, Challenger, Admiral and Jester."

Cask ales are delivered directly to pubs, clubs and festivals within a radius reaching to Craven Arms, Llandrindod Wells, Ross-on-Wye and Worcester.

The Wobbly Brewing Company is based at Beech Business Park in Tillington Road, Hereford.

Managing director Jason Hughes said: "Wobbly Brewing has gone from strength to strength since we took over in December 2017, from only two staff to now six and still growing. We produce six core beers from an IPA to a stout.

"We have just added to the brewery a new canning and packaging facility, so we now don't just do our own amazing beers, we can now brew, can, pack and distribute for other breweries from across Europe. This will provide more job opportunities for a further 30 staff."

They use local hops, local apples and local grain.

They use traditional craft ale methods and are able to brew 800 to 3,000 litres at any one time.

Their products can be bought from the Amberley Arms in Sutton St Nicholas, the Cosy Club and the Oxford Arms.