Annual beer festival is cancelled
Monday 17th August 2009, 10:47AM BST.
Shrewsbury Beer Festival – which was set to celebrate its 20th anniversary this year – has been cancelled because organisers could not find a suitable venue.
The Shrewsbury and west Shropshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale has cancelled the event, but said it would definitely return next year.
The event has traditionally been held in the Music Hall, which is now closed.
Last year the show was held at the Buttermarket nightclub, but organisers say it could not be guaranteed the club would be open this year.
Nigel Bevan, group secretary, said: “The festival has been cancelled this year because of the Music Hall being out of action.
“We are trying to look around at venues and are talking to the Hereford branch of Camra about combining to look at venues outside where we could put up a marquee.
“It would have been our 20th festival, but we are going to celebrate that next year.”
The highlight of the event is the presentation of the Shropshire Brewers Challenge Trophy.
The trophy will this year be presented at the Red Eye Cider Festival, which is organised by the Salopian Bar in Shrewsbury.
The festival will be held over the August Bank Holiday weekend from August 28.
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I shall just have to compensate for my depression at this tragic news and double up on my ale quota at the Folk Festival then!!
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Shrewsbury Town? AFC Telford United? Oakengates Theatre? Wellington Civic Centre? Nowhere in Oswestry? Ludlow? Wem?
I am sure being out of Shrewsbury for one year would not have been that much of a problem!
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shame
surely they could just do it out doors or in market stalls like in the town square ?
or lets have a virtual party where we all get drunk at home and then twitter each other online what the beer tastes like ?
no imagination these people
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here’s a novel idea – why not cut the local pubs in and do it as a pub crawl????
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It wouldn’t really be Shrewsbury beer festival if it wasn’t held in Shrewsbury now would it Matt…
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If it doesn’t contain flowers and old people then shrewsbury won’t want it anyway…
we’ll have no smiling in this town thank you very much
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Why couldn’t the Flower Show leave a marque up for them for this weekend?
Such a miserable bunch.
This would never happen in Germany. It just shows that Brits can not organise a ….. (fill in the gaps in yourselves)
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There is going to be a Real Ale Walkabout in Shrewsbury on the first weekend in October. It’s being organised by 7 of the local pubs.
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what is wrong with the new market hall or st mary,s or one of the other redundant churches
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surely the new theatre was built to replace the old Music hall, any events at the music hall should have first dibs on the new theatre
this is madness, im sure the theatre would welcome this event, as would the local pubs in frankwell many of whome do great real ale
Come on people strike a deal before its too late to save this great event
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couldnt organise a beer up in a brewerey! LOL
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This is a real shame, the event is always well attended. I know a lot of people who come to Shrewsbury for the weekend just for that event. The Council should be proactive in helping Camra find an alternative venue. A marquee in the quarry or the square would be ideal.
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shame
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Do you guys( and guyesses) really think that Shrewsbury CAMRA haven’t looked at all realistic options before cancelling the festival?
As joint festival organiser it has been gut wrenching to cancel. A lot of comments show naivity in how a festival of that size is organised.
If you want to get involved please be constructive with you comments and please remember that everyone that puts that festival together is doing it in their own time and with no pay.
Paul F, you are on the right lines, although unless you know costings you wouldn’t be suggesting quarry.
Jimmy S, been down the Theatre bit, not viable. Salopian 90, looked into it, not viable financially and absultely not viable for space.
Alan, well pointed out..beer in the loop, pub based crawl, please support it!
Lucy, miserable bunch? You obviously don’t know us.
Matt..75% of our attendees are from out of Shropshire, we have to consider road, bus and rail links..also Telford have a seperate Branch from us, please support their SVR Railway festival on 12th September.
Cheers and best wishes.
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