Award-winning brewer Timothy Taylor is producing a new beer for the first time in 30 years.

Royal Ale is being brewed to celebrate the visit of The Prince of Wales to the Knowle Spring Brewery, Ingrow, in February this year.

A donation from the sale of each case will be donated to The Prince of Wales Charitable Trust, set up to distribute money each year to a range of worthy causes throughout the world.

Royal Ale is also Taylor's first new bottled beer since the launch of Competition Ale in 1952, so called because it was introduced as a competition to find a name for the new brew.

The winning name was Landlord, which has gone on to win numerous awards and helped to make the brewery nationally renowned.

Head brewer Peter Eells describes the beer as: "A Strong (ABV 5 per cent) English amber ale, with a rich golden colour, robust hoppy aroma and full malty taste"

Royal Ale is the first new beer since its malty stout Porter was introduced in the early 1970s.

In a unique move, supermarket chain Safeway has agreed to stock the initial bottling prior to Christmas and underwrite this celebration ale.

The inaugural brew was mashed in earlier this month by Mr Eells and his team, and it is anticipated that the first bottles will reach Safeway stores by November, in time for the build-up to the Christmas season.

Commenting on the introduction of Royal Ale, Mr Eells said, "The visit of Prince Charles was a great honour for the brewery and we wanted to celebrate the occasion in a memorable way -- what better way than by introducing a new beer!

"I'm sure Royal Ale will become a worthy member of Timothy Taylor's family of beers".

Timothy Taylor is the last independent brewery of its kind left in West Yorkshire and has been brewing traditional cask conditioned ales for over 140 years.

In recent years the Keighley-based brewers have invested almost £1.5million in developing and upgrading brewery plant and equipment to ensure production keeps pace with an ever increasing demand for its beers.

Until the New Year, Royal Ale will be available in Safeway stores and via regular local stockists delivered direct from the brewery.