There’s been cheers on Chapel Street as a different type of glass is being enjoyed at a former glazing shop in Petersfield.

Craft beer fans are in for a treat as Steve Pottinger and Tom Owen recently opened The Escapist bar in the town centre.

And you can probably raise a glass to their wives for the new independent watering hole, as the brother-in-laws discovered a love of craft beer after chatting at - yep - the pub.

“Our wives were away travelling on work so we went to the pub to become better acquainted,” said Mr Pottinger.

“We were quite into craft beer, although we were a little bit late to it, and we thought we should open a pub and actually went through with it.”

The pair’s first pub of the same name opened in Crane Street, Chichester, in July 2020, and continues to be successful. But the pair had a taste for more and got the opportunity to acquire a brewery two years later.

Reviews were good and the pair decided to expand their brewing empire early this year by snapping up the former SureFix unit opposite Hector’s.

The bar “officially opened” during the May Bank Holiday weekend but there was a soft launch the Thursday before, with business being encouraging since.

The pair admit these are tough times for the brewing industry with larger firms struggling with the rising cost of everything from hops and kegs to packaging, CO2 and wages.

But smaller micro-breweries are holding their own and the pair seem confident about their place in town.

Mr Pottinger added: “We went a little bit under the radar but it’s nice to grow organically and we’ve had two storming weekends.

“Petersfield is a smaller town than Chichester so word has spread a bit quicker.”