THE 2019 Kernow CAMRA Falmouth Beer Festival’s three-day event came to an end on Saturday.

The event, which was held in Events Square from Thursday to Saturday, is the biggest beer and cider festival in Cornwall, with more than 5,500 visitors attending last year.

There were 245 real ales on offer, 97 ciders, 30 craft beers, a gin and rum bar and a variety of food stalls.

This year's theme reflected Cornwall’s mining history, with Cornish Bar forming the backbone of the festival, hosting 140 unique brews from the county’s brewers.

They included brews from new breweries Krow, Fowey and Pipeline Brewing, alongside nationally recognised tipples.

Bodmin-based Harbour Brewery's Ellensburg Session IPA won the annual Champion Beer of Cornwall crown on Thursday night, while Ventons Devon Cyder's Thirst Responder was named Cider of the Festival.

Every year each Cornish beer and cider is blind-tasted to select the very best, with the category champions being crowned on Thursday evening, with one of the overall winners being crowned the Champion Beer of Cornwall and the Cider of the Festival.

There was live music each night, with the likes of Small Wonder, Tom Dale and Daisy Clark taking to the stage, and tutored tastings were held on Friday and Saturday afternoon.

This year’s festival charity is the Merlin MS Centre, near St Austell.

Kernow CAMRA, the Cornish Branch of the Campaign For Real Ale, is a non-profit organisation, run by volunteers, promoting real ale, real cider and pubs and clubs as the core of British communities.

Champion Beer of Cornwall Awards:

Speciality Ales: Gold - Skinner's Brewery, Hops & Honey; Silver - Sharp's Brewery, Sunset Red; Bronze - Woodman's Wild Ale, Wild Mild.

Porters: Gold - Keltek Brewery, Pilot Gig Porter; Silver - Padstow Brewing, Company Pilot - Bronze - Driftwood Spars, Brewery Bolsters.

Strong Milds and Old Ales: Gold - Driftwood Spars, St.Agnes, Cornwall Alfie's Revenge; Silver - Tremethick Brewery, Dark Ale; Bronze - Blue Anchor Inn, Spingo Special.

Stouts: Gold - Dynamite Valley Brewing Co., Black Charge; Silver - St Austell Brewery, Moo Juice; Bronze - Castle Brewery.

Bitter: Gold - Dynamite Valley Brewing Co. Gold Rush; Silver - Treen's Brewery, Essential; Bronze - Keltek Brewery, Lance.

Strong Bitter: Gold - Tintagel Brewery, Merlins Muddle; Silver - Harbour Brewing, Company IPA; Bronze - St Austell Brewery, Visitor Centre Hicks.

Best Bitters: Gold - Driftwood Spars, Forest Blond; Silver - Treen's Brewery Ltd., Classic; Bronze - Forge Brewery, Tamar Source.

Golden Ale: Gold - Harbour Brewery, Ellensburg Session IPA; Silver - St Ives Brewery, XPA; Bronze - Firebrand Brewing Co, West Coast IPA.

Overall: Gold - Harbour Brewery, Ellensburg Session IPA; Silver - Tintagel Brewery, Merlins Muddle; Bronze - Skinner's Brewery, Hops & Honey.

Cider of the Festival: 1st - Ventons Devon Cyder, Thirst Responder; 2nd - Perry's Cider, Vintage; 3rd - Sandford Orchards, Creely Vintage.