A POPULAR beer festival in Tamworth will this year raise a glass in tribute to a founder organiser who passed away in June.

The Tamworth Beer Festival takes place from September 9 to 11 – and will celebrating the life of Chris Fudge, who played a key role in the CAMRA festival since it started in 1994.

The Tamworth Beer Festival will raise a glass in memory of Chris Fudge.

Chris died earlier this summer after suffering from a brain tumour for the past two-and-a-half years.

This year's festival will take place at the Assembly Rooms, running daily from 11am to 11pm.

Around 2,000 people are expected to flock to the event with a number of beers being named in tribute to Chris.

A special tribute glass has also been produced for the festival.

"Since 1994 Chris had worked with micro-breweries – both locally and nationwide – to come up with an enviable beer list," a festival spokesman said.

"It is estimated that Chris had been responsible for providing more than 1,600 different real ales since the festival began, including award-winning beers and weird and wacky flavours from toffee, chilli and garlic, and Tia Maria brews."

This year there will be more than 100 real ales, ciders and perries on offer to beer lovers.

North Warwickshire-based brewery Church End will be providing a number of beers for the event, including 'hot totty' – a whisky and lemon concoction.

Geoff Cross, chairman of Tamworth Beer Festival, said: "The beer festival will be back in Tamworth for its 17th outing this year and promises a wide selection of ale, including cocktail flavoured beers to the more traditional beers.

"The event has become a favourite in the festival calendar and people travel from all over the country to attend."

He added: "This year it will be poignant as we are without Chris Fudge, who worked tirelessly behind the scenes and at every festival we have held; without him it would not be the event we have today.

"We will be raising a glass to Chris and making a special effort to ensure we play tribute to the man who made it happen."

There will be live entertainment at the festival.

Festival special beers will have a Staffordshire Hoard theme. For further details visit: www.lstcamra.org.uk