Customers of the Spa Valley Railway know a good beer when they taste one.

And they had plenty of practice sampling all the alternatives when the railway laid on its 5th annual Real Ale Festival, conducted by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) last year.

The passengers were asked to vote on the best beer and they selected the Black Cat Brewery.

On Saturday, the brewery’s owners Paul and Kate Wratten visited the line’s West Station in Tunbridge Wells to pick up their certificate from the festival organiser Iain Dalgleish.

David Moore, the publicity officer for West Kent CAMRA, admitted it had taken CAMRA “a fair time” to get around to making the presentation - the festival was last October - but he said fortunately the brewery didn’t seem to mind. The Wrattens brought along four of their best ales and treated the several score CAMRA members present to another sampling of their lovely brew.

The Black Cat Brewery is based in Uckfield. Its beers include Nine Tails, Tip Top and Hopsmack.