The fantastic Black Country breweries you can back after Banks's closure announced

After the decision to close the historic Banks’s Brewery in the centre of Wolverhampton, it is time to remind everyone of the proud beer-making heritage that remains across the Black Country and the wider region.

While Carlsberg wants to move production away from the historic Chapel Ash brewery, dozens of smaller breweries are still going strong. And regular beer festivals prove the popularity of real ale among drinkers, especially those that have been brewed on our doorstep.

The Express & Star today lists just some of the smaller breweries that have become popular.

Over the next few weeks we will visit them and provide you a profile of their work, and their roots in our community.

The Campaign for Real Ale last week published its Good Beer Guide, which highlighted a large number of Black Country breweries and traditional pubs that thrive on the sale of real ale.

Camra chairman Ash Corbett-Collins today backed the E&S campaign and called for changes to make it easier for small brewers to get access to pubs.

He said there are huge pressures faced by the industry through high taxation, energy and raw material costs, adding: “These pressures are even more extreme for independent brewers, who have the added barrier of restricted access to the pub market.”