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13th February 2012

MOORHOUSE’S UNVEILS BEER FESTIVAL BONANZA

Lancashire’s internationally acclaimed Moorhouse’s Brewery is rolling out a trio of beer festivals to celebrate its new £4.2m brewing complex.

The famous ‘Pendle Witches’ brewer will hold the first event on March 17/18 March. It will feature champion brews from the annual Great British Beer Festival (GBBF) and the Brewing Industry International Awards (BIIA) to highlight the best of British craft cask ales – the only growing sector of the UK beer industry – while showcasing Moorhouse’s major investment.

With the opening of the 1000-barrel-a-week capacity complex last year a spacious visitor centre, complete with bistro-bar, was also launched to attract both private and public events to the Burnley brewery.

A July festival (27/28) will feature ales from a growing band of brewsters (female brewers). It will include a special tasting evening for female drinkers led by top beer writer Melissa Cole. For October a festival will mark the Halloween season and the 400th anniversary of the trial and execution of the legendary Pendle Witches.

Managing director David Grant said: “This ambitious programme of festivals will celebrate the major commitment we have made in the future of the cask ale industry and focus attention on this growing market.

“The new visitor centre means we are now able to cater for both private functions, such as weddings and corporate celebrations, as well as large public events. The festivals will showcase what we have to offer while giving both enthusiasts and newcomers to cask a chance to enjoy some of Britain’s top brews.

“Our brewsters’ festival will highlight the considerable contribution that female brewers are now making to the growing cask ales market at a time when cask is rapidly growing in popularity among women. And, of course, as the nation’s award winning ‘Halloween Brewer’ we wish to mark the 400th anniversary of the Pendle Witches story appropriately.”    Ends/MHPR- Beer Festivals

Notes to editors: The new brewery complex that has trebled former capacity for the North West’s leading dedicated cask ale brewer to £15m-pints-a-year. Moorhouse’s has won more awards than any comparable brewer, including Black Cat voted Camra Supreme Champion Beer of Britain 2000 and Pride of Pendle hailed the Champion Cask Ale title at the Brewing Industry International Awards 2004. Founder William Moorhouse established his drinks manufacturing business in Accrington Road, Burnley, Lancashire in 1865. Originally it produced mineral waters and then low strength hop bitters for Temperance Movement bars. Moorhouse’s began full strength brewing in the 1970s and in the eighties Manchester businessman Bill Parkinson bought the then ailing brewery ‘because he liked the beer’. Now, Moorhouse’s directly supplies several hundred pubs throughout the region and in Yorkshire, while distributing nationally via leading wholesalers and major pub chains.

 

For further information contact: Steve Hobman, Rhino Public Relations: 01829 250502/ 07751 578605. email: shobman@rhinopr.freeserve.co.uk