News

Manchester will host the first ever international beer and cider brewing festival

It will come to Depot Mayfield in 2024.

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant - 4th September 2023

Manchester is set to host the first-ever international Brewing & Cider Festival, it has been revealed.

Set to take place in March next year, the two-day ticketed event will showcase the best beers and ciders from around the world.

It is being organised by the world’s most historic international beer and cider competition, The International Brewing & Cider Awards – a 137-year-old organisation known as the ‘Oscars’ of the brewing and cider world.

For the past decade, the event has been held at The National Brewery Centre in Burton-Upon-Trent, but as of 2024, it will relocate to Depot Mayfield – offering. a rare opportunity to taste a vast range of award-winning local, national, and international beers and ciders.

For the first time in its 137-year history, the Awards will be accompanied by a public festival – something that represents a significant milestone in the Awards’ commitment to promoting and supporting the brewing and cider industries. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Founded in 1886, The International Brewing & Cider Awards takes place every two years and has been the gold standard in rewarding the passion and craftsmanship of breweries and cidermakers across the world.

The Awards are judged by a panel of worldwide judges, who are all practicing brewers and cider-makers considered experts in their field.

ADVERTISEMENT

This one-of-a-kind Festival aims to bring together beer and cider enthusiasts, industry professionals and the general public for a weekend filled with great beer and cider, live music, and mouthwatering street food.

Read more: Unseasonal mini heatwave could bring some of the year’s warmest days this week

Speaking on the event Ruth Evans MBE, Director of the International Brewing & Cider Awards and organiser of the Festival, said: “We are thrilled that, 137 years into our history, we are hosting our first ever International Brewing & Cider Festival and bringing our world-renowned Awards to Manchester.

ADVERTISEMENT

“The International Brewing & Cider Awards is the most historic international competition of its kind, and it is important that we innovate and expand, and our move to Manchester and the introduction of our Festival is part of that evolution.

“The city has a rich history in brewing and an up-and-coming cider scene making it a fitting location for our expansion. Our ethos has always been to support the brewing and cidermaking industry on a not-for-profit basis and celebrate the best beers and ciders from around the world, providing the recognition they truly deserve.

Read more: There’s currently FIVE MILLION train tickets across the North for sale from just 50p

“The Festival provides a fantastic opportunity for us to celebrate the incredible talent of brewers and cidermakers and to share their passion with the public. The move to Manchester also allows us to forge valuable new partnerships with local organisations and community stakeholders, as well as extend the knowledge and appreciation of a win at the competition. 

“We hope this festival becomes a tradition, opening to the public once our Awards concludes on the Friday – this is a hugely exciting time for us and we are very excited to be descending on Manchester in March.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Tickets to the International Brewing & Cider Festival will be available for purchase from November on the official festival website here.

Featured image – Wikimedia Commons

News

Arrest made after 14-year-old boy found in critical condition on Market Street

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Arrest made after 14-year-old boy found in critical condition on Market Street

An arrest has been made after a teenage boy was found unresponsive on Market Street in Manchester city centre.

Detectives believe that the boy, 14, was approached by seven males who stole a designer jacket from him.

Following the altercation, he went into cardiac arrest and was rushed to hospital in a critical condition.

Thankfully, the teenager is continuing to recover well.

Detectives from Manchester City Centre Criminal Investigation Department confirmed that an 18-year-old male was arrested yesterday, Thursday 20 February.

He has been arrested on suspicion of robbery and remains in police custody.

Detective Inspector Mark Astbury of GMP’s City Centre Criminal Investigation Department, said: “We hope the victim can continue his recovery following what must have been a terrifying ordeal for him.

“Officers are fully investigating all aspects of this shocking incident that has left a man with serious injuries in hospital.

“Our work doesn’t stop here, we are continuing to investigate this incident and information from the public plays an incredibly important role in our investigations and I ask that the community keep talking to us and keep sharing their concerns with us so our teams can act.”

If you have any information, contact GMP 101 or 0161 856 4305 quoting log 2854 of 16/2/25.

Read more

Featured image: Google Maps

News

Comedy is being prescribed instead of antidepressants as part of UK trials

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Trials are currently underway to see if comedy could be an alternative to antidepressants as a way to reduce NHS costs.

UK tech company Craic Health has secured important funding for its ‘comedy on prescription’ project that’s aimed at helping the Government work with the comedy industry, communities, and organisations on comedy-based social prescriptions in the hope that they can solve financial struggles within the NHS.

The groundbreaking scheme uses stand-up shows and workshops to help people who are isolated, lonely, and vulnerable.

Craic believes comedy is an ‘untapped opportunity’ to improve health and wellbeing, and has a goal to make comedy easier to access, so that it can help communities experience its mental health and social benefits.

To achieve this, the company has started trialling Comedy-on-Prescription experiences in the UK – starting in London, with the potential for expansion – which includes things like curated comedy panel game show events and workshops, and general stand-up comedy shows at some of the capital’s world-famous venues.

Comedy is being prescribed instead of antidepressants as part of UK trials / Credit: Wikimedia Commons

“Mental health issues like loneliness, isolation, and stress are more common than ever,” the company explains.

“So much so that it’s projected that by 2030, mental health problems, particularly depression, will be the leading cause of mortality and morbidity globally, [but] in this challenging world, comedy stands out as a universal language that breaks barriers.

“Research shows that comedy and laughter have powerful effects – they bring people together, create positive connections, and make life more enjoyable.”

Read more:

Craic Health says that social prescribing, of which Comedy-on-Prescription is a part of, is all about inclusivity, which makes it making it suitable for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.

Its focus is on personalised support, tailored to individual needs and preferences.

Featured Image – Laughterama (Supplied)

More News

Damo restaurant Altrincham tribute regular customer Haroon death

Eats

Altrincham restaurant pays touching tribute to beloved regular after tragic passing

Boroughs

Life-saving defibrillators to be installed on dozens of trains travelling through Greater Manchester

City Centre

One of Manchester’s oldest surviving Victorian mills to be repurposed into ‘distinctive’ rental homes

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches