Local brewers are stepping up to showcase their beers at BeerX, the Society of Independent Brewers’ celebration of beer in Sheffield in March. Based on registrations from brewers, SIBA is expecting between 600-700 beers to be served at the BeerX Festival of Beer.
The BeerX Festival of Beer will be the biggest in the UK to serve keg as well as cask and bottled beers and will offer a greater diversity of beer styles. From pale craft lagers to dark porters, taking in strong and best bitters; golden and pale ales, milds and stouts as well as beers brewed with honey, elderflower and coffee – to name but a few – the choice of brews at BeerX makes it a beer festival like no other.
Julian Grocock, SIBA chief executive, said, “We’re delighted by our members’ enthusiastic response to BeerX. Our vision for BeerX, from the outset, has been to create an event that truly captures the diversity, passion and excitement of the UK’s local brewing industry and we are on track to deliver this to the anticipated 5,000+ visitors in March.”
Brewers who have already offered to send beers to Sheffield come from all corners of the country: as far north as the Isle of Arran to the Isle of Wight in the south, and from Lowestoft in the east to Penzance in the west. Installing the dispense equipment for the beers is the remit of SIBA’s Technical Services team, with all beers set to be served exactly as the brewers stipulate: with sparkler, creamer or neither.
With widespread support for BeerX from its members – not just brewers but also the many associate supplier members – SIBA is now ramping up its marketing of the Festival of Beer to potential visitors. Advertising in local press, CAMRA magazines, bus shelters and beer mats in hundreds of pubs around Sheffield will run from now until March.
BeerX runs from March 13th – 16th and will bring together SIBA’s Annual Brewing Conference – which will include a the final judging and presentations for the National Brewing Competition, the Business Awards, Associate Members’ Forum and the Festival of Beer. The entire event is being held at Ponds Forge Conference Centre, in Sheffield city centre.
BeerX will include a programme of speakers drawn from the international brewing and pub industry, as well as a series of technical seminars aimed at brewers and brewery managers. More detail on both will follow later this month.
SIBA members and other industry guests wanting to find out more about BeerX should visit the dedicated section on the SIBA website: www.siba.co.uk/beerx
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Issued on behalf of: Society of Independent Brewers
By: ShielPorter Communications
For information: Ros Shiel
07841 694137 / 01403 267971