Oswestry brewery which started as a hobby and has become a life for husband and wife team

The West Midlands has a long-standing tradition of brewing and beer making.

Breweries have been a part of the region for centuries, providing the welcoming aroma of hops and yeast in the air across the region and many different types of beer loved by thousands.

In the wake of the news of the planned closure of Banks's Brewery in Wolverhampton, the Star wants to support our local breweries and show that there are still many out there producing quality beers to be enjoyed in pubs across the region.

As part of our Backing Our Breweries campaign, we are going to look at what different breweries do, how they grew and built up their reputation, what their products are, how they continue to run in what are difficult financial times and what makes them special.

Beer making is an artform and one which a lot of people take up to see if they can make their own beers taste how they like their beers to taste.

Sometimes, from what starts out as an occasional, part-time bit of fun, an idea to go into business and sell that beer can form and become something more concrete, sometimes from the passion of the brewer and other times from the location.

In the case of Stonehouse Brewery in Oswestry, the creation of the brewery in 2007 was down to all of the above, with Shane and Alison Parr having enjoyed making beer in their home.