A tiny brewery which grows its own hops has lost no time in taking advantage of Chancellor Gordon Brown's decision to cut beer duty.

The team behind the Cuckmere Haven Brewery, based at the Golden Galleon pub near Seaford, has opened its first city centre pub, the Grosvenor Arms, in Western Street, Brighton.

Hops were planted last year in the grounds of the Golden Galleon, making it one of the few pubs in the UK to serve beer from its own hops.

The team is planning to open more pubs in Sussex after the Chancellor made it easier to compete with the bigger brewers by halving the beer duty paid on each pint produced by microbreweries.

Before the Budget, Stefano Diela, owner of the Golden Galleon and the brewery, led a delegation to Downing Street and organised a Thames river boat trip for MPs to press home the need to reduce duty.

He said: "Of course we would have liked a complete abolition of duty for microbreweries like ourselves but we are very pleased."

Head brewer Alan Edgar said: "We had always wanted a pub in Brighton and when the Grosvenor came up we thought it was ideal.

"It is in a good position and has a regular clientele."