Norwich's newest pub/bar was less than a month old when it was given a welcome boost in trade by the Norwich beer festival just down the road.

Drinkers who could not get in to the festival, which ran earlier this month at St Andrews' and Blackfriars' Halls, just walked 20 yards to the Norwich Tap House.

Manager Stuart Laidlaw said the huge numbers of people beating a path to their door had made them grow up fast, and had given them some pointers as to what they were doing right and wrong.

He said: 'It was manic. To be full up with all these Camra members within weeks of opening and to be the crucible of the beer festival was great. It was a chance for us to iron out some of the kinks.

'Overall, trade has been great, and we've been busy, and hopefully, it has got the word out and it will be full steam ahead now until Christmas.'

The idea behind the new pub was to provide somewhere unique to Norwich, but also to retain a nice traditional pub feel and be a sociable place, where people in the city could go to relax and enjoy a pint, he said.

But the main calling card is the 20 keg beers on tap, which are proving a popular alternative to the cask beer or real ale that is already well catered for in the city. Blackboards in the pub list the 20 draught beers on tap, their price and alcohol content, plus the wines on offer.

Mr Laidlaw added: 'The Fat Cat focuses on cask ale, but we wanted to bring some of this great British keg beer to Norwich.

'I have always had a keen interest in food and drink and enjoy working in hospitality. That's my I came to this pub - my passion for drink. I threw my hat in the ring as I love craft beers. We are lucky to live in a city which has such a sophisticated beer market and such an ale and beer culture.'

Mr Laidlaw also manages the Ten Bells pub in St Benedict's Street, and running both was taking a toll on his married life, he said. Before that he was a book editor, and a chef.

The pub is owned by Patrick Fisher, his mother Elizabeth Fisher, Alan Walpole and Amy Hancock.

The Evening News has been urging people to return to pubs in our Love your Local campaign.

to see more stories from the campaign visit www.eveningnews24.co.uk/loveyourlocal