Cheers! Danish beer aficionados visit Shropshire to get a taste of county’s brews

A group of Danish brewers have taken a brief bus stop holiday in Shropshire to taste some local brews and get a taste of beer culture in the UK.

Get the latest headlines delivered straight to your inbox with the Shropshire Star’s free newsletter

The Hald Ege Brewers Guild, a local guild of home or hobby brewers based in a small village outside Viborg in Jutland, Denmark contacted Camra in Bridgnorth earlier this year, to tell them of their visit.

The group said the guild, which consisted of 25 men who share an interest in beer brewing, take a trip every two years to experience other places and learn more about their culture and beer.

Ole Madsen from the group said: “For us, UK is known for its pub tradition and, not least thanks to Camra's efforts, for its many diverse and authentic beers.

“This culture is replicated all over the world, and every country that respects itself and its beer has witnessed a boom in microbreweries and craft beer pubs, so we wanted to experience the real thing.”

He said the guild had a choice this year of visiting either Belfast or Shropshire and members overwhelmingly voted in favour of the Midlands county.

Last Tuesday (September 22) 12 members from the guild arrived in the UK and booked into a hotel in Ironbridge before meeting up with two members from Bridgnorth’s Camra group who took them on a five-day tour of the county’s best beer stops.

The group, along with Bridgnorth Camra branch secretary Brendan O'Donnell and liaison officer Alan Thwaites, visited a host of pubs and microbreweries including the Coracle in Ironbridge, and enjoyed a tour around Bridgnorth plus a walk from Ironbridge to Blists Hill followed by a visit to the All Nations Inn in Madeley, where they swapped tips with local brewer Andy Brough.

The group also visited the Shrewsbury Beer Festival, the Camra annual event which took place at St Mary’s Church in the town.

Brendan O’Donnell said: “They thoroughly enjoyed it. They have a completely different drinking culture in Denmark, considering how famous it is for their beer; they tend to drink in their homes rather than in pubs.

“What was interesting is as a group they would ask for a recommendation and they would all sample the same beer.

“They spent a good hour with Andy Brough in the All Nations swapping tips and discussing the intricacies of brewing.

“They were really impressed with the way we do things here - some even said they wanted to return.”