Now the Wigan woman who founded a micro-brewery in a garage is celebrating her first major beer award.

Former after-school nursery manager Patsy Slevin is already in the running for a new enterprise grant because of the success of her business, which only produced it's first pint a little over a year ago.

This week Prospect Brewery in Standish collected a Bronze Medal for its Blinding Light bitter after it wowed a panel of judges at the Wigan Beer Festival.

The presentation, suitably enough, took place at Roby Mill's Fox pub, whose cellars are one of her regular bulk customers.
The beer is a triple hopped 4.2% ABV bitter – now officially listed as the pub's fifth regular product.

Prospect was founded in January 2007 and mashed its first beers the following October.

Patsy, 47, a beer drinker since university days, caught the brewing bug after buying computer programmer husband John a three-day "learn to brew" course in Burnley for his birthday .

She was so enthralled she later booked brewery tours around Wigan's flourishing All Gates Brewery plant and then signed on for months of volunteer work at Dave Sweeney's renowned Bank Top Brewery in Bolton to learn the ins and outs of the craft.

Although husband John is continuing in his chosen profession for the time being, the brewery remains a family operation.

Blinding Light's final seal of approval came from the winning taste buds of Patsy's 88-year-old mother-in-law Mrs Beth Slevin prior to production.

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