LABOUR OF LOVE FOR COUNCIL LEADER
Sir Richard Leese to officially open Manchester Beer & Cider Festival 2015
The leader of Manchester City Council is set to officially open the Manchester Beer & Cider Festival 2015. Sir Richard Leese CBE will attend the Press & Trade session, hosted by LWC Drinks and the Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA), at the first day of the festival on Wednesday 21 January and will declare the festival officially open at 3pm.
Sir Richard, who has been the leader of Manchester City Council since 1996, will also be announcing the winner of the Champion Beer of the North West competition, as well as announcing the North West’s entrants into the finals of the Champion Winter Beer of Britain competition.
Sir Richard said: “The festival will be a celebration of Manchester’s thriving craft beer and cider industry and a wonderful opportunity to discover a huge range of products, ranging from those made locally to others from right around the globe.”
Following the trade session attended by invited brewers and publicans, the festival will open its doors to the public at 4pm.
Festival organiser Graham Donning said he was looking forward to welcomingSir Richard to the event. “It gives the branches of Greater Manchester’s Campaign for Real Ale great pleasure to have Sir Richard Leese open our event. The Manchester Beer and Cider Festival has fast become the most prestigious beer festival in the North West of England that welcomes visitors from all over the country and Europe as well as from far flung places across the globe.”
“Manchester is a great city to visit for the shopping, entertainment and the classic pubs and modern bars that are dotted around the city and the region. We hope that Sir Richard and fellow councillors from Manchester City Council enjoy our event and realise how much business such a beer festival brings to the city with a dramatic increase in footfall for the pubs, restaurants, hotels and all other businesses.”
“This event is now the number one event for ‘Things to do in Manchester’ this week and many more thousands of people will realise what a good venue the Manchester Velodrome is with its marvellous facilities and staff. It almost makes me want to get my bike out and ride around the track!!” For more information about the festival visit www.mancbeerfest.uk
For further information contact:
Clare Barber
0151 255 0152
Notes to editors:
Sir Richard Leese
Sir Richard Leese was Manchester City Council’s Labour leader whose first act in charge was to revive the city following the 1996 IRA bomb, ultimately winning him a knighthood. A former teacher, he was first elected as councillor in 1984 and has led the city through over 15 years of major regeneration since his election as leader in 1996.
Manchester Beer & Cider Festival
1) The Manchester Beer & Cider Festival is organised by the Greater Manchester Branches of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).
2) The festival takes place in the National Cycling Centre’s Velodrome from 21st – 24th January 2015 and will feature more than 500 beers ciders & perries over two levels.
3) The 2014 festival attracted over 10,000 visitors who drank over 40,000 pints of beer, cider & perry. The 2015 festival will have another 17,000 pints available.
