Appearing in the Guide, published by the Campaign for Real Ale, are new city centre entrants Cherry Reds, on John Bright Street, the Pint Shop on Bennetts Hill and the Head of Steam on Temple Street. They join regular entries such as the Wellington, Post Office Vaults (pictured) and the Craven Arms in the 47th edition of the guide and provide further evidence of a boom in what was once a desert for beer drinkers.

In total, 29 Birmingham venues are mentioned, ranging from the traditional Lamp Tavern in Highgate, long-established as a classic backstreet real ale mecca, to the listed splendour of the Barton’s Arms in Newtown.

The King’s Heath Cricket & Sports Club has perhaps the finest backdrop for a pint in the city while the Arthur Robertson, set in the One Stop shopping centre at Perry Barr, might not provide such picturesque surroundings, but its beer quality is of an equally high standard.

More than 4,500 of the best pubs, clubs and bars in the country are featured, along with details of the 1,800+ breweries currently operating in the UK. Also included are such iconic local hostelries as the Great Western in Wolverhampton, the Waggon & Horses in Halesowen, Sedgley’s award-winning Beacon Hotel and the Batham’s brewery tap, the Vine (better known as the Bull & Bladder) in Brierley Hill.

Also featuring in the guide, which weighs in at a whopping 1,060 pages and has a retail price of £15.99, are articles on beer production and appreciation, pub design and more, plus news of the campaigns that have made CAMRA one of the most effective consumer groups in the world.