Organisers of the Manchester Beer and Cider Festival – to take place at Manchester Central in January – are advising visitors to the festival to be prepared for bag searches at the venue to ensure everyone attending is as safe and secure as possible.
Following police advice all attendees will be subject to a bag search – with sharp objects such as scissors, picnic knives and nail files banned from the venue. Visitors bringing liquids or food into the venue will not be affected.
It follows the Great British Beer Festival which had a similar security policy at Olympia in London this summer – which saw a successful and safe event with little impact on visitors entering the venue.
Festival organiser Graham Donning said: “This year the venue, Manchester Central, will be operating on the basis that there will be 100 per cent bag searches due to the recent happenings at Manchester Arena and in the advice of the Police. They will not be allowed to bring such implements into the venue – including any sharps (scissors, nail files etc). Basically, best leave bags at home and don’t have anything on your person that would not get through airport security – liquids and food are okay.”
The MBCF returns to Manchester Central from 25-27 January 2018, with a special preview evening on Wednesday 24 January for members of the licensed trade and media, and free to CAMRA members.
This year the festival has also invited brewers to enter the first Manchester Brewers’ Challenge – throwing down the gauntlet to the region’s brewers to submit whichever beer and style best represents their craft.
Brewers will only be able to put one beer in front of the judging panel, made up of publicans, writers and other industry experts.
Beer orderer John O’Donnell explains: “We have previously hosted rounds of CAMRA’s flagship competition, the Champion Beer of Britain. But as CAMRA moves the contest to our friends at Liverpool Beer Festival, we saw we could use this January to do something innovative and different.
“So we have challenged all Greater Manchester breweries in this year’s Good Beer Guide to take part. Some brewers wish to decide which of their beers are judged; and which style category their beer is placed. We think this contest gives them that opportunity – brewers can submit a beer in any style and in any format they ch
oose.
“We don’t expect every brewer to enter, and the contest will have no bearing on the beers we will showcase. But the Manchester Brewers Challenge will reflect the amazing choice of ales across our region and will surely be a prestigious trophy to win. It will be a bit of fun at the launch of the festival, but not for the judges – theirs is going to be tough job.”
Advance tickets are on sale through the festival’s website, www.mancbeerfest.uk