Kidderminster micropub in top 16 UK watering holes

Judges praised the Weaver’s Real Ale House in Kidderminster as 'a convenient stop-off point for a pint and a chat on the way into town, with plenty of space inside and eight beers on handpump'.

The pub was ranked against other local branch winners and deemed to be the best in the region overall.

It was described as having 'a perfect mix of the essential characteristics which make a great pub', including atmosphere, decor, welcome, service, value for money, customer mix, and quality real ale.

The 45th edition of the Good Beer Guide, published by the Campaign for Real Ale, features 16 new breweries across the West Midlands and 105 new pub entries.

As well as Weaver's, The Fixed Wheel Brewery in Blackheath and the Green Duck Brewery in Stourbridge are also on the list.

The book's editor Roger Protz said: "It's fantastic to see a continued growth in local brewing.

"The first edition of the Good Beer Guide published 45 years ago was a call to arms for beer lovers at a time when the brewing industry was in dire trouble and the market flooded with tasteless, fizzy beer.

“How the beer world has changed. Today, in spite of closures, a growing number of pubs clamber to offer the best-possible range of real ales and we are still seeing remarkable growth in the brewing sector.”

In total the West Midlands has 386 pubs listed in the guide.

However, it is not all cheer for the pub industry.

The launch of the new Good Beer Guide coincided with a warning that around 28,000 pubs have closed since the 1970s – and the sector faces a 'ticking time bomb' over its future.

Research by Camra found there are fewer than 50,000 pubs, with more beer now being drunk at home.

Camra called for greater support for pubs, saying they are under threat as never before. This year's Good Beer Guide reports that when Camra was formed in the early 1970s, Britain had 75,000 pubs.