REAL ale lovers will be toasting a beer festival at The Barlow Edgworth this weekend.

And organisers are promising a three days of fun, drink, food and music.

The festival will feature craft ales all from local breweries no more than a few miles from Edgworth.

A spokesman for the festival said: "Beers have undergone a revolution in the last few years. Micro-breweries are becoming much more popular than the large commercial brewers of the past. The beers have changed as well. There is more choice than Mild or Bitter these days. Your Grandad, who popped down to the pub with his flat cap and whippet, wouldn’t recognise it.

"So get along to The Barlow and sample these great beers.

"If that is not to your taste, then there will also be gin, Prosecco and cider ­— including a few cocktails ­— plus plenty of pasties and pies to help it down."

He added: "In all there will be more than 30 casks of specially selected beers."

The headline sponsor will be the Wayoh Brewing Company.

Those offering a taste of their wares will be Northern Monkey Brew Company, Bank Top, Irwell Works, Northern Whisper, Edgworth Brew Company and many others.

For a full list go to the Barlow website www.thebarlow.co.uk/whats-on. In all there will be more than 30 casks of specially selected beers.

The Festival will run from 6pm on Friday, with music from Phoenix Knights of Harmony a well known local “barber shop” choir.

On Saturday, it opens from 2pm going on until 11pm, with music in the evening from the Cassis Collective, currently featuring regularly at Altrincham Market. Ben Krinks will be playing the piano for a relaxing vibe.

Sunday afternoon the festival will open at 2pm

Entry to the festival is £5 on Friday and Saturday, and £2 on Sunday ­— with a refund on glass return.

Money raised from the festival will go to supporting The Barlow, which is used by the community and run by volunteers.