AN EAST Lothian beer company has scooped a top award at a national independent brewers competition.

Knops Beer Company, who are based at Archerfield Estate, took home gold in the Scottish craft keg category for their Cold Fury.

And it went on to take the silver UK-wide in the champion keg premium lager and pilsners competition overall.

Cold Fury is the company's first lager and proved a double hit at yesterday evening's awards which were held in Liverpool.

The company celebrated the treble when its Black Cork took home the silver in the small pack premium strong beers category as well making it a night of celebrations for the brewery.

Robert Knops, from the company, said: "We are delighted to have won Silver Awards for both Black Cork and Cold Fury in the national SIBA competition held at Beer X in Liverpool this week.

"This is the first competition that our new lager Cold Fury has been entered into so it was great to hear it had won Gold for its region (Scotland) and then to hear yesterday that it had one silver nationally."

Buster Grant, chairman of the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) who hosted the awards, said the standard of beers throughout the United Kingdom was growing from strength to strength.

He said: "I would like to congratulate all of the winners and recommend beer drinkers keep an eye out for these fantastic brews!"