Derby Beer Festival Returns After Four-Year Hiatus Draws Hundreds

The Derby beer festival made its return, drawing hundreds of attendees, four years after its previous occurrence. Over 300 individuals were present for the inaugural evening of the Derby Heritage Beer Festival on Wednesday, which took place at the city’s Museum of Making. This three-day event features a selection of over 200 beers, real ales, ciders, and perries sourced globally, while also “championing the very best from Derbyshire”. Commenting on the festival’s revival, Heather Knibbs, 33, who serves as the publicity officer for the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), stated: “We are so excited to be back and only being one day in, people have already told us how happy they are to see us back in the city.” The inability of CAMRA’s Derby branch to organize its customary festival since February 2020 was attributed to Covid lockdowns and a scarcity of reasonably priced locations. Ms Knibbs indicated that securing a new location for the festival had been “four years in the making”. She further explained: “We needed to find a venue large enough to hold our crowds and we needed a place that was financially sustainable for us.” Ms Knibbs also mentioned that the collaboration with Derby Museums proved “mutually beneficial,” as museum officials provided the ground-floor area without a hiring charge and consented to share subsequent profits. “We would very much like this to be our home going forward,” she stated, adding, “Working with the museum staff has been amazing and hopefully it will be a partnership that continues in the future.” She concluded, “It’s been great to see people having so much fun and has been worth the wait.” Follow BBC Derby on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.