Regular ‘Beer Weekers’ will know that we have, to date, shied away from sponsorship. We like to retain our independence, so the idea of someone in the beer industry having a financial involvement in the week has always felt a bit inappropriate. We’ve focused on raising funds in other ways, which has always been pretty tough and has taken valuable time away from the actual organisation and promotion of events.
This year we have bitten the bullet and invited ‘supporters’ to get involved. We searched for organisations, preferably local and independent, which have an interest in the beer industry. Our supporters are very happy to be associated with Bristol Beer Week and we are very happy to have them, but they will have no say in the way the week is run, so we will continue to be 100% independent on that front.
I’m pleased to announce that our first three supporters are (you can link to their feature pages at the bottom of the page):
Bristol Brewery Tours
Seeing a working brewery can be a unique and interesting experience for those of us with a passion for beer but no other involvement in the industry. The team at UK Brewery Tours are great at giving a whistle stop tour of the local area, its small breweries, and the great beers that are produced. We’re very pleased that they run a regular tour around Bristol and they have chosen to support Bristol Beer Week 2017.
Tikk
It is refreshing to see a local firm attempting to revolutionise the online ticket market place and offer a real alternative to the existing, mainly oversees providers. Tikk offers a simple ticketing solution, focusing on security and the prevention of touting, which is becoming a major problem. Tikk are based in Bristol and Martin, the founder, is passionate about the local beer industry; so it made perfect sense for Tikk to be the exclusive ticketing provider for Bristol Beer Week 2017.
Hop & Barley
Hop & Barley is an independent publication, which explores the people and stories behind the contemporary brewing movement. Since launching in July 2014, they have produced eight volumes and distributed over 5000 copies worldwide. In an industry where digital media dominates, it is refreshing to see a publication produced in beautiful print form. The guys at Hop and Barley are passionate about design, photography, journalism and, most importantly, beer.