A REAL ale fan from Shabbington near Thame has been named the lucky winner of a competition organised by The Vale Brewery Company.

The Brewery in Brill ran the competition to name its beer of the month for September, a brew that will also be on tap at this year's Thame Food Festival as well as great watering-holes across the county.

Jim Crews came up with the winning name of 'Thame'in of the Brew' after being inspired to enter the competition.

He got to pour the very first pint of the beer at Vale Brewery's annual open day festival on Saturday.

He said: "I don't think you can beat a proper pint of beer served in a proper pub, which for me is my local The Old Fisherman here in Shabbington, so when I found out about this challenge, I was naturally keen to enter.

"My idea for the name came from the fact that it needed a link to Thame, have a traditional feel to it and yet be nice and simple. So I decided a connection with Shakespeare would work - Thame'in of the Brew reminded me of Taming of the Shrew - and would be memorable.

"When I entered the competition, I wasn't trying to win though when I got the news that I had, I was obviously really chuffed."

Vale Brewery Ian Mackey and his team brewed the beer, a 4.1% mid-strength seasonal bitter that's burnished gold with English hops and English malted barley giving it a truly traditional harvest festival feel.

Ian said: "We loved Jim's name for the beer and thought it was a great choice for the special festival ale that is also our beer of the month for September.

"It's a unique beer that's sure to go down well at the bar as well as the Thame Food Festival at the end of the month."

The Thame Food Festival takes place from 9am to 6pm on Saturday, September 28 in the heart of Thame town centre, where the beer Jim named can also be sampled. Go to www.thamefoodfestival.co.uk