POPULAR WHITCHURCH PUB SET FOR BANK HOLIDAY BEER EXTRAVAGANZA

Beer Tours UK is all about celebrating British beer and independent British pubs, so we are extremely happy to give a big warm welcome here to a richly historic pub showcasing local beers and ciders in a Bank Holiday beer spectacular right on our doorstep. We will be there.

The team toast the festival: (L-R) Gemma, Jacob, Emily, Lynn, Shaun

BLACK BEAR READY TO GIVE A BIG HUG TO A BANK HOLIDAY BEER OR TWO

The historic Black Bear in Whitchurch celebrates beer and ciders from independent  brewers across Shropshire, North Wales and Cheshire with a Spring Bank holiday beer festival.

Running across three days from Friday May 24, this is the first festival at the Bear for several years and will feature some 25 cask ales and a collection of keg beers, demonstrating a serious commitment to supporting the region’s small brewers. And there's a clutch of ciders in the line up too.

The pub courtyard/garden all ready to go

General manager Gemma Dimelow told Beer Tours UK:“For the first time in a long time, the Black Bear is hosting a Beer and Cider festival, focusing on local products. We hope this will be the start of a yearly beer and cider festival. We will provide keg products as well as a focus on cask ales served traditionally, laying down tapped and vented on racking outside in the garden."

Gemma and the team have worked with local brewers to source the ales, including Wrexham's Big Hand, Shropshire's Ludlow, Salopian, Hobsons and New Brew along with Cheshire's Four Priests and Weetwood.

The beer will be supplemented by a selection of boxed ciders. The event is free to enter and you can purchase a Black Bear Glass and pint/half pint card prior to getting up close to a variety of ales.   

The black&white Black Bear - a living piece of Whitchurch history jit

Pub chefs will be providing a BBQ from 5 pm on the Friday night and from noon on Saturday, which will include a new sausage produced locally using house beer JPA (3.6%), a pale ale named for Jerry Brunning, the owner of parent group Pubs Ltd. On Sunday traditional roasts will be available and there's a slightly reduced menu running throughout the weekend.

There is music too with Poppy Hall kicking off with an acoustic evening on Friday, Rob Chapman on Saturday afternoon half of duo Baxter Hayley Strangelove of Nantwich Jazz Festival fame on late Sunday afternoon .

The Black Bear is a fine example of Britain's unique pub heritage. A black and white timber framed building it was originally built as a townhouse for the town's toffs in medieval times, before becoming an inn. It stands in the shadow of the St Alkmund's Parish Church Church at the top of the High Street, dating back to the 900s and founded by King Alfred the Great's daughter. Now that is a bit of history.

Beer list:

1	Shrop	3 Tuns	Fruit n Nut
2	Shrop	3 Tuns	XXX
3	Shrop	Stonehouse	Flipside
4	Shrop	Ludlow	Silent Knight
5	Cheshire	Weetwood	Cheshire Cat
6	Cheshire	Four Priests	Get Locky
7	Cheshire	Four Priests	Ginger Beard
8	Shrop	Hobsons	Bootiful
9	Shrop	Hobsons	Best bitter
10	Shrop	Salopian	Orbital
11	Shrop	Salopian	Port in a Storm
12	Cheshire	Spitting Feathers	Rested when Expectant
13	Cheshire	Spitting Feathers	Trio Brew Alien
14	Shrop	New Brew	APA
15	Shrop	New Brew	C'mon Sunshine
16	Staff	Lymestone	Cherry Stone
17	Wrexham	Big Hand	JPA
18	Wrexham	Big Hand	Apaloosa
19	Wrexham	Big Hand	Freehand
20	Cheshire	Peerless	Citruvian
21	Cheshire/Wirral	Peerless	Full Whack
22	Cheshire/Wirral	Peerless	Oatmeal stout
23	Staff	Titanic	Raspberry
24	Staff	Titanic	Steerage

Cider List:

	Location	Producer	Cider
1	Denbighshire	Rosie's	Black Bart
2	Denbighshire	Rosie's	DDD Sweet
3	Somerset	Lillys	Strawberry
4	Somerset	Lillys	Rhubarb
5	Shropshire	Long Mynd	LMC Original
6	Shropshire	Stonehouse	Sweeny Mountain
7	Cheshire	Spitting Feathers	Berry Cider
8	Flintshire	Dee Cider	Sweet
9	Flintshire	Dee Cider	Dry
10	Cheshire	Wrenbury Cider	Kingston Black

The Black Bear Beer and Cider Festival

Free Entry

Glasses £3.00

Beer card purchase

Friday 24th May from 5pm 

Saturday 25th May 11.30 till 11pm

Sunday 26th May 11.30 till 10pm