Madonna's penchant for real ale has led to Keighley brewery Timothy Taylor taking boatloads of the stuff down to the Capital.

Since the star told chat show host Jonathan Ross of her love for the brewery's Landlord beer, interest in the drink has rocketed with couriers transporting crates of the stuff down this week.

First the presenter himself put in a request to the family-run company to see what all the fuss was about.

Only too happy to wet his whistle, he had two cases dispatched to his London offices yesterday. "We sent a dozen bottles and some freebies as well," said Paul Marklew, the company's transport manager.

And what did they get in return? "A £50 parking ticket. But that's just part and parcel of the job."

The company also delivered an 18-gallon cask to Madonna's watering hole, the Dog and Duck in Soho, and 108 bottles for the opening of a new gallery, aptly called Timothy Taylor, when they heard Radio One DJ Jo Whiley's request for real ale.

"She asked for some Timothy Taylor for her interview with Madonna that afternoon," said Paul, who was only too happy to oblige and sent a case by motorbike courier.

But he remained tight-lipped about whether they'd taken some of the star's favourite tipple to the Oxford Street HMV store where, later that day, she was due to perform her most exclusive gig in the UK for years in front of 500 lucky fans.

"We felt very privileged for those two little mentions she gave us on the show. Since then we've been gobsmacked with the response.

"We've made headlines in America with CBS news and the BBC World Service.

"We've also had hundreds of telephone calls and the website has been walled up, so it's been nice."

Pictured with a pint of Landlord beer is Timothy Taylor's chief accountant Geoff Drinnan.