Jayson Perfect, Palmers Tenanted Trade Director said ‘producing and serving our award winning real ales remains at the very heart of our business. We have seen the standard of cellars in our pubs improve year on year, this has been reflected in the scores achieved in the Master Cellarman competition and in the volume of real ale that our pubs sell.

‘Congratulations goes to Paul and his team at the Anchor who maintain an exceptional cellar in one of our busiest pubs.’

Last year’s winners, The Ropemakers in Bridport (who are not allowed to hold the trophy two years in a row) maintained their Master Cellarman status, even improving on their impressive score from 2015.