A BEER festival will showcase the Vale of White Horse’s booming real ale scene, with beer-lovers heading to Wantage from around the country.

The town has a growing reputation for ale, with seven microbreweries opening across the Vale since 2004.

All will have their wares on sale at the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) beer festival at Wantage Civic Hall , Portway, today and tomorrow.

Vale of White Horse Camra branch chairman Neil Crook said: “We are extremely lucky that we now have a large number of relatively small breweries in the branch area.

“The real ale scene is so healthy here because we have more free houses and pubs that are free of ties, which can source their beers from whatever location they want.”

Three new breweries have opened in the area in the past year.

Bellinger’s Brewery operates from the former Pitstop Brewery in Grove, Faringdon Brewery has opened at The Swan in Faringdon, Old Forge Brewery opened last year in Coleshill and Betjeman Brewery will open its new plant at the Shoulder of Mutton in Wantage early next year.

Two Wantage pubs recognised as serving some of the best beer in Oxfordshire are pulling in visitors from across the country.

The Royal Oak, in Newbury Street, reached the final four in Camra’s national pub of the year in 2010, and last month reached the final of the National Camra Cider Pub of the Year, having won the Central Southern title. It is the first pub in the UK to make the top four in both the beer and cider competitions.

The town’s newly-refurbished Shoulder of Mutton sells an ever-changing range of 10 real ales.

The festival, which runs from 11am to 11pm, will showcase 28 real ales.