Palmers Brewery

Britain's only thatched brewery sits beside the river Brit, a mile from the Jurassic Coast, and has been brewing cask ale on the same Bridport site since 1794. That is 230 years of family, heritage and quality, and it shows in the details: water drawn from their own naturally rising spring, Maris Otter malt, whole leaf hops. Fifty-three pubs across Dorset, Devon and Somerset carry the name, many of them in genuinely handsome spots.

Five fine ales and a craft keg come out of the Old Brewery, made by traditional methods. The traditional English style IPA is the long-standing favourite, English Goldings for bitterness with Slovenian aroma hops behind it, a well-balanced best bitter rather than anything shouty. There are soft drinks too: an award-winning Original Ginger Beer made the old-fashioned way, and Palmers Original lemonade. Find a Palmers pub on the coast road and start with the IPA.