Wigan pub picked for regional online beer celebration

Organisers of the Manchester Beer and Cider Festival have been forced to create an online version of the event for 2021 due to Covid-19.

And Wigan Central, located in the arches beneath Wigan North Western station, is one of the handful of venues selected to host an event.

The Queen Street micropub will celebrate all things hopped and stretch beer fans’ grey matter at the same time with a special edition of its popular pub quiz.

Beer experts will face several rounds of questions about their favourite drinks while enjoy a pack of ales from three different North West breweries, including Hindley’s Hophurst.

The online event has been renamed to highlight the ongoing threat to the sector’s future as it faces severe restrictions due to the battle against the novel coronavirus.

The venues are all well-known and successful within the real ale world, with Wigan Central being placed alongside the likes of Manchester's Marble Arch in the list of hosts.

Wigan Central manageress Jo Ashton said: “It’s really nice to be put alongside the other pubs which have been selected. That’s a really good position for us to be in.

“I love doing stuff like this and I’m really looking forward to it. The different pubs are doing different things so we’ve chosen an old-school pub quiz but made it all about beers.

“The festival is also about keeping pubs in people’s minds and reminding them that we are still here.”

Wigan Central’s event is on February 18 and participants will receive ales from Hophurst, Liverpool brewery Neptune and Warrington concern Twisted Wheel.

The brewers will also be online doing Q&A sessions with enthusiasts in between the quiz rounds as well as passing on more information about some of their creations.

The festival runs from February 17 to February 20 and also has events celebrating real cider and perry, music in pubs, dark beers and top breweries.

Anyone wanting to take part in Wigan Central’s event, though, will have to move quickly because the deadline for ordering beer packs is Monday February 8.

To find out more visit https://mancbeerfest.uk/pubs-matter/

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