Organisers of the third City of Ale celebration of Norwich pubs hope to make it a more year-round event with participating pubs now set to take part in the Norfolk Food and Drink Festival in September.

Publicans and brewers who met at the Ketts Tavern in Ketts Hill this week to finalise details were told that 38 pubs and 36 breweries have already signed up to take part in the City Of Ale, which runs from May 23 to June 2.

And the meeting was also told that City of Ale pubs have been invited to take part in the food and drink festival over the weekend of September 7/8. Participating pubs will be included in the festival's City of Ale Trail.

Co-chairman of City Ale, Dawn Leeder said: 'In the longer term, in order to cement the appeal of City of Ale, we want to expand across other events in Norwich and Norfolk.

'We want to make it more of a year-round event, not just the 10 days in May/June. And this is an opportunity to extend the reach of the City of Ale, at a complementary festival. Obviously, we are also involved in Camra's Norwich beer festival, as well.'

As reported, Phil Halls from South Norfolk's Grain Brewery has organised a beer trip to York next Tuesday, to give people there the chance to sample 15 Norfolk beers, as part of the friendly rivalry between the two cities.

The beers will be available in The York Tap at the station and The Pivni Bar.

The City of Ale fits in with the Norwich Evening News' Love Your Local campaign, which aims to get people back into pubs.

To see more stories from the Love Your Local campaign, see www.eveningnews24.co.uk/loveyourlocal

Got a pub story? Call David Bale on 01603 772427 or email david.bale2@archant.co.uk

The next meeting of City of Ale is Monday, April 29, 10am at Earlham Arms in Earlham Road, Norwich.