STUDENTS made their own beer – thanks to the help of a brewer from Sherfield-on-Loddon.

Pete Cook gave students from the University of Reading free rein at the Sherfield Village Brewery, in Goddards Lane – and they came up with their ideal pint.

Extra Curricular is a strong pale ale made with five hops, and is now being sold in the university’s bars, as well as two pubs in the town.

A total of six members of the university’s real ale society visited the brewery after meeting Mr Cook in a pub in Reading.

Mr Cook said: “They were a great group to work with, and were involved in every stage of brewing. I gave them a free hand but the students were very happy to receive advice. Hopefully, they enjoyed themselves and the experience should stand them in good stead for the future.”

Society president Jamie Duffield, 22, said the first cask of Extra Curricular sold at a rate of one pint per minute.

He added: “Usually, it’s the students lining up to buy the beer but we’ve turned the tables. Our aim was to create a beer that’s not too different from current flavours of the month among students. We were delighted with the end product, and so it seems are the customers.”