Torrside brewery is celebrating after scooping gold for the Beer of the Festival at the recent Stockport Beer and Cider Festival. From a selection of around 200 beers, Torrside Brewing’s Bardo, a 9% Imperial Stout, was voted the favourite tipple by thirsty drinkers.

But thanks to the pandemic, the beer nearly didn’t get brewed. In early 2020, Nathan Pratt, of the Sheffield Homebrew Club, won a first prize for Limbo, his 5.5% stout, at the Stockport & S. Manchester (SSM) CAMRA homebrew competition. The reward was to visit a commercial brewery and brew the beer so it could be sold to the public.