Ref: tn_13007
Date: 11th September 2007

The Road to Wigan Beer

Ghostly tales, famous royal visitors and sporting glory are all intertwined into Wigan Borough’s public house heritage. This October food and drink lovers will have the chance to enjoy a taste of history on the ‘The Road to Wigan Beer’.

The first ever Wigan Food and Drink Festival is organised by Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust as part of the Manchester Food and Drink Festival. In association with Wigan CAMRA the festival is celebrating the rich character and real ales that are synonymous with the borough’s pubs.

Visitors to the festival’s twenty featured pubs will have the chance to enjoy special events, sample a selection of real ales, and will have a unique opportunity to vote for the borough’s own champion brew.

Tourism Development Manager for the Trust Keith Bergman, said: “Every pub we have chosen has its own story to tell and its own special atmosphere. With the help of CAMRA we have selected an excellent list of pubs where visitors can sample fine real ales and a warm Wigan welcome. Each pub has also selected a special ale for the festival. The Road to Wigan Beer perfectly combines the traditions of northern hospitality with great beer.”

Highlights of The Road to Wigan Beer include:

• The Anvil, Wigan – Premiership Pub of the Year 2006/07 and the brewery tap for Allgates Micro Brewery.
• Boar’s Head, Standish – The second oldest pub in England has been serving brews since 1271.
• The Pendle Witch, Atherton – named after a folk story about the death of six local women put to death for witchcraft and ‘turning the ale sour’.
• The Royal Oak, Wigan – a 17th Century listed building and the brewery tap for the Mayflower Brewery.
• The Thomas Burke, Leigh – formerly the home of the Hippodrome Theatre and named after famous local opera singer Thomas Burke.

The other featured pubs are: The Bowling Green - Wigan; The Bulls Head - Goose Green; The Colliers - Wigan; The Cross Keys – Stubshaw Cross; The Crown at Worthington – Standish; The Delph – Tontine; The Edington – Hindley; The Oak Tree Root – Howe Bridge; The Old Dog – Upholland; The Robin Hood – Orrell; The Ross Arms – Astley; The Sir Thomas Gerrard – Ashton; The Tudor House – Wigan; The Victoria – Haigh; and The White Crow – Standish.

In addition, The Crown at Worthington will host a mini ‘Tour of Britain’ Beer Festival from Thursday 4th to Sunday 7th October and on Tuesday 9th, Allgates Brewery are offering a one-off chance to tour the brewery and sample their fine beers for just £10 per person.

Wigan Borough’s Food and Drink Festival, sponsored by TESCO, runs from Friday 5th to Monday 15th October at venues across Wigan Borough.

Voting forms for the festival’s champion brew are included in the 2007 festival programme available from Wigan Tourist Information Centre, Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust outlets and the partner restaurants. For more information, contact Wigan Tourist Information Centre 01942 825677, or visit www.visitwigan.com/foodfest  or www.foodanddrinkfestival.com

-ends-

NOTES TO EDITORS: For further information on this press release please contact Chris Dunbar, Media and Public Relations Manager, on 01942 486937 or at c.dunbar@wlct.org 
Alternatively contact Phil Green, Public Relations Officer, Wigan Council on 01942 837369 or Keith Bergman, Tourism Development Manager on 01942 486951.

Sponsors and supporters: The Wigan Food and Drink Festival (part of the Manchester Food and Drink Festival) is organised by Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust. The Trust would like to thank the following sponsors for their support: TESCO, Wigan Council, Allgates Brewery, Wigan CAMRA, Wigan Market and Fiswal.

Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust: Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust is a charitable trust working on behalf of Wigan Council to manage and support leisure and cultural facilities, initiatives and events for over 300,000 residents in the Wigan Borough. See www.wlct.org 

Getting Wigan Active: Getting Wigan Active is Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust’s vision to help people across the Wigan Borough to become more physically, mentally and creatively active. It also aims to increase community activity and to encourage good citizenship.

 

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