Cheers! Beer festival returns to Coalbrookdale

On offer will be a variety of British beers from around the country. As drinkers sip their drinks, they will be able to listen to live music from local musicians Dan Edwards, Purdey Nurse, the Watermelon Acousticles and Grace Acoustic Duo, and tuck into delicious pizza.

Lauren Collier, Head of Interpretation at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, said: “There is a long history of beer drinking and brewing in the Ironbridge Gorge. In the early nineteenth century, beer was considered nutritious (in moderation!) when compared to gin, another popular drink at the time. People who worked in forges and furnaces across the Gorge were often provided with beer to drink by their employers due to the intense heat of the working environment. It was also common for industrial workers to brew beer for local pubs in their spare time. Pubs themselves offered a welcome relief from the harsh realities of working class life, and were a place to escape the cramped conditions of home and relax while talking or playing games.”

Kay Whitehouse, Events Officer at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, said: “We are delighted to welcome back the Coalbrookdale Beer Festival for a second year. It will be a great way for people to start their weekend, trying different beers and enjoying music from local performers.”

There will be two sessions: Friday, 6pm to 11pm, and Saturday, 12 noon to 5pm. A ticket for one session costs £10 and includes a free, exclusive Coalbrookdale Beer Festival glass to take away and two half pints of cask beer. Beer tokens will be £2.25 for half a pint. Tickets can be bought in advance online and on the door.

For more information about this and other autumn events at Ironbridge Valley of Invention, visit ironbridge.org.uk

By Sarah Watson - Contributor