Cheers! Real ale fans raise a glass at popular festival

The two-day event at Peace Memorial Hall was organised by Penkridge Round Table, which hailed it as one of the best yet.

There were 36 beers on offer, along with eight ciders and a selection of wine. And bands The Shine, Travellers and Fatman Alley provided the music throughout the weekend.

One of the most popular beers was the 4.7 per cent Indiaman IPA, brewed just down the road at Penkridge's Otherton Ales.

Among the other top ales were Finn Halls Porter by the Beowulf Brewing Company in Chasewater and the Shugborough Brewery's Mi Lady's Fancy.

The event is staged by 24 volunteers, who are tasked with choosing the beers and getting breweries involved.

One of those organisers, Steve Creed, said: "Everyone will have done their bit over the weekend, whether it's pulling pints, sorting out the barrel deliveries or doing the collections.

"None of us are experts - we are all laymen at this but we all work hard at it."

Stoke-on-Trent's Titanic Brewery provided the bar equipment and helped the group set up the event.

And though Mr Creed admitted it was an exhausting task, he said the reaction of the hundreds of customers who piled through the doors made it all worthwhile.

He added: "We have tried to choose a good mix of beers, with plenty of local ones, some more obscure ones from further afield and even a couple with funny names.

"It's been a fantastic response and we are glad it's all gone so well."

Friday and Saturday nights were sold out, while the hall was so busy it was standing room only during Saturday afternoon's free to enter session.