DRINKERS will raise their glasses to a growing renaissance in locally brewed booze as the Oxford Beer and Cider Festival gets under way.

Many of Oxfordshire’s 20-plus breweries will be represented at the festival which runs from Thursday to Saturday in Oxford Town Hall.

This year’s festival will feature 130 real ales and 50 ciders or perries from near and far.

Beer lovers will have a chance to sample the wares of big brewers such as Wychwood and Hook Norton and smaller businesses that have sprung up around the county in the past few years, including Lovebeer from Milton, Little Ox from Freeland and Oxbrew from Enstone.

Up to 40 ales are being hidden away until Saturday to encourage visitors to make a repeat visit.

The organisers of the festival, the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), believes there are now more than 1,700 breweries around the UK including nearly 200 new names that have opened in the last two years.

Oxford CAMRA spokesman, Dave Richardson, said: “British people really have gained a taste for locally produced beer, and are increasingly turning away from the mass produced keg beers and lagers of the major brewers.

"The Oxford Beer and Cider Festival is the perfect opportunity to let your taste buds free on a whole range of traditional beer styles from dark and golden beers to traditional stouts and porters, which are seeing a revival."

Mr Richardson said that the popularity of local beer is seeing more and more Oxfordshire pubs stocking locally sourced beer and customers are also going direct to the breweries to secure their favourite tipple.

Simon Scamp founded OxBrew with his step son Aaron Baldwin a year and a half ago and they now produce 2,500 pints a day.

The Cutteslowe resident, who previously spent 30 years painting the signs on pubs, says that the increase in popularity of locally-brewed beer is connected to people becoming more aware of where their food comes from and wanting to support local suppliers.

His brewery now sells to pubs in Oxford including the Gardeners' Arms and Rose and Crown in North Oxford.

But he hasn't yet got around to naming the beers, preferring a 'does what it says on the tin' approach and will be selling a red and pale ale from their stall.

The festival runs from 5pm until 11pm on Thursday, from 11am until 11pm on Friday and from 11am until 9pm on Saturday.

Entry costs £10 including £6 worth of vouchers and a non-returnable glass, or £8 for members of CAMRA and the Oxford or Brookes university real ale societies.