A Midland historian professor could help to give a Walsall brewery facing closure an 11th hour lifeline.
Professor Carl Chinn has called for Walsall Council to save the iconic Highgate & Davenports Brewery, which has been in operation for more than 100 years, from hitting financial ruin, the Express and Star reports.
Mr Chinn, who writes a column for the news provider, has pleaded with the local authority to take on the Grade II listed building and retain it as a brewery.
"I would urge the council to work with its partners and try and attract a suitable party to keep it going because it is very important to the region," he writes.
"It is a great brewery which makes award winning ales and what was also exciting for me as a Brummie was the fact it successfully revived the Davenports brand."
Mr Chinn went on to say that the facility is vital to the local economy, the heritage of the region and has the potential to thrive.
His argument is given weight by recent research from the Campaign for Real Ale, which found that British-brewed beers are now the most popular tipple with punters – testament that there is a demand in the market.
Typical Guttridge equipment used by breweries includes; Conveyors – screw conveyors – chain conveyors – belt conveyors