HEREFORDSHIRE’S Wye Valley Brewery has just been voted top of the hops.

The independent company based in the village of Stoke Lacy, near Bromyard, has gained a top award for one of its bottled beers at Britain’s biggest beer event, the Camra Great British Beer Festival 2008 at Earls Court, London.

The brewery’s popular bottled beer Dorothy Goodbody’s Wholesome Stout was crowned Camra Champion Bottle- Conditioned Beer of Britain 2008.

The award is one of many for Dorothy Goodbody’s Wholesome Stout, but is the most significant so far, going one better than when it won silver in the same competition last year.

Dorothy Goodbody’s Wholesome Stout is a classic stout, described by Britain’s foremost beer writer, Roger Protz as “a full-bodied and memorable beer… the palate is smooth and creamy with overtones of roasted grain and bitter chocolate”.

Vernon Amor, the brewery’s managing director, said: “Wye Valley Brewery is in its 23rd year and we continue to grow and invest.

“Bottled beer sales are in growth and this award is the most important one we have received for our bottled beers.

We will be installing our own bottling line later this year and an accolade like this is a great achievement for everyone here at the brewery.

“Dorothy Goodbody’s Wholesome Stout is one of our biggest award winners, as well as winning Camra Champion Bottle Conditioned Beer at GBBF, and being awarded silver in the same competition last year, it has won West Midlands Camra Bottled Beer of the Year in 2006 and 2007 and also won silver in the Bottled Beers category at the Society for Independent Brewers West Regional Beer Competition.”

Which makes Dorothy Goodbody a very popular girl indeed.