They can be light, dark, strong or sharp – and they are the shining light of the pub industry in Northamptonshire and nationwide.

The commodity in question is real ale, which new figures show is the only area of the British pub market which is on the rise. Statistics released by the British Beer & Pub Association yesterday show that UK drinkers are continuing to reduce their alcohol consumption, and 2009 saw the sharpest year-on-year decline since 1948.

But it also revealed that the UK ale market increased its market share of all beers in 2009 for the first time since the 1960s, and the number of UK brewers is at its highest since 1940.

Read the full story in the Evening Telegraph