FEARS that one of Newton Abbot’s most popular beer festival had been axed were quashed this week.

Organisers of The Maltings Beer Festival revealed they were ‘nearly 100 per cent confident’ that the show would go ahead next year.

The future of the festival was thrown into doubt after Tuckers Maltings, which housed the event for 26 years, announced it was shutting down after 118 years of trading.

Guy Sheppard, from the Society of Independent Brewers which puts on the festival, said organisers had looked at various venues in the town as a new base.

He explained: ‘The committee has considered all the options and whilst we still have much work to do, we are nearly 100 per cent confident that we can set up the 2019 Maltings Beer Festival on Osborne Park – which is the playing field opposite Tuckers Maltings.’

Plans are afoot to build a self-contained tented festival boasting outside areas and a stage.

Mr Sheppard added: ‘A big ask for the volunteer committee, but we are keen to rise to the challenge and put on a beer festival that will be well worthy to continue the name of the Maltings Beer Festival, a festival that has attracted thousands of people from all over the UK and beyond for many years.’

The committee thanked Teignbridge Council and Newton Abbot Town Council for working hard with organisers to find a new location.

Norman Lewis, chairman of the organising committee, added: ‘This is as close as possible to the spiritual home of the festival, a venue that we have used for 26 years.

‘It is close to the railway station and town facilities and we are sure that it will be popular with our customers.’

It is hoped doors to the popular festival will be flung open once more from April 11 next year until April 13 in Osborne Park.