Cumbrian craft brewer seeks to change attitudes at beer festival
A Cumbrian brewer is on a mission to transform people’s attitudes to drinking by offering up his specialist craft beers at a festival for independent brewers this week.
Dave Bailey and his partner Ann Wedgwood, who run Millom's Hardknott Brewery, will have three of their beers at the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) festival in Staveley, near Kendal.
Dave Bailey and his partner Ann Wedgwood, who run Millom’s Hardknott Brewery, will have three of their beers at the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) festival in Staveley, near Kendal.
The festival, which takes place from October 24 to October 26, will feature beers made by independent brewers from around the North West. The breweries will also compete for prizes as part of the event.
Hardknott will have three beers at the festival; Azimuth, Continuum and Lux Borealis.
The three beers are part of the Direct Delivery Scheme run by SIBA, which is designed to promote independently brewed beers to tied houses. This will enable Hardknott beers to be more available in pubs throughout Cumbria and Lancashire.
Azimuth was the first beer to run out at the Sunderland Octoberfest this month, as well as being voted beer of the festival. It also finished in the top three in the national SIBA craft keg competition this year.
Mr Bailey said even though Azimuth was a stronger than average 5.8% it had a proven track record of converting drinkers who usually chose something a little less potent.
Mr Bailey said: “Ann and I are really committed to trying to inspire people about the exciting array of beers and new tastes there are out there and this festival will be a really good opportunity to do that.
“The strength of our beers is matched by their depth and intensity of flavour and I want people to break away from the mindset of going for the middle of the road milds and try something a bit different instead. I always feel a frisson of pleasure when someone tells me how they find it hard to go back to regular beer after drinking Azimuth.”
Hardknott’s beers will be on offer alongside 200 cask beers and 100 bottled beers made by 80 North Western breweries from Cheshire, Cumbria, the Isle of Man, Merseyside, Greater Manchester and Lancashire.
For more information about Hardknott’s beers go to www.hardknott.com
For more information about the festival please go to www.siba.co.uk/nwbf
