A popular pub landlord has praised staff and customers after making the "sad decision" to move on from the role.
Chris Lamb has been the landlord at The Weighbridge Inn in Alvechurch for three years but has taken the decision to return to his previous career in social housing at the end of September.
Mr Lamb has been involved with the pub for over 16 years and said stepping down as the landlord had not been an easy decision.
He said: "It is with great sadness that I announce I’ll be leaving my role as landlord at The Weighbridge Inn at the end of September.
"This wasn’t an easy decision to make as I’ve been involved with the pub in one capacity or another since I was 19 years old.
"Since taking the reins 3 years ago, I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have had my family grow, but that also means that I need to be at home more often than being a landlord allows."
Mr Lamb has thanked his incredible team including assistant manager Caroline Spreckley and Wendy Venn who runs the kitchen.
He has also thanked the community for all their support over the years and said he hopes to find a new landlord that is just as "passionate about real ale".
Mr Lamb added: "I’d like to thank my amazing team at The Weighbridge Inn who have helped me make the pub the wonderful place it is and to every single member of staff who has worked with me, including so many members of our community who muck-in at the beer festivals to help me serve the beer, build them and clear it all away.
"Thank you to ABC Leisure, and in particular, Carl Onens, who gave me the chance to keep the pub open after Covid and rebuild it to the wonderful home from home it is. Thank you to all our lovely customers, you’re not just people who come in and spend money with us, you’re our supporters, our neighbours, and most importantly our friends.
"Thank you to Redditch and Bromsgrove CAMRA who have seen and appreciated the hard work that has been done over the last few years and have awarded us Pub of the Year for the last two years in a row."
The landlord has also reassured customers that his last beer festival will be going ahead on Friday, September 20 and Saturday, September 21.
The festival is set to showcase some of the best breweries in the West Midlands along with performances from incredible local musicians.
The search is now on for a new licensee with Mr Lamb urging people to get in touch if they know someone who might be interested in the role.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here