Henshaws Beer Festival is back this weekend after a two year absence.

The event, on Saturday and Sunday, is a vital fundraiser for the Arts and Crafts Centre in Knaresborough which works with disabled adults from across the district.

In June 2020 Henshaws announced the centre would be closed for the “foreseeable future” . Almost a year later the charity received a grant from Arts Council England from the government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund, which allowed the centre to reopen.  Henshaws said it needs to raise £200,000 of non-statutory income a year to keep the centre running.

Henshaws said the beer festival will be bigger and better than ever.  Five local breweries have joined forces to present the best of beer, including a specially brewed Henshaws Ale. Wines, gins, cider and low-alcohol beer will also be on offer.

The weekend will also feature sets from a range of local performers and a DJ . There will be a special acoustic stage on the Sunday.

There will be five different types of food and a range of family activities. Daytime family-friendly sessions take place on both days and there is an adults-only evening on the Saturday.

Fundraising development manager Helen Donkin said:

“Ticket sales are going well and we are beginning to get quite excited! The Arts and Crafts Centre offers a unique outdoor setting for the festival, with a large stage area, undercover spaces and outdoor and indoor seating. The event has been incredibly well supported in the past and, given the pressure that all charities are under, we hope for even more visitors this year. During our first event, we welcomed over 750 guests and pulled more than 2,500 pints and this year we want to do even better!

“We are already hugely grateful for the support of our sponsors including our title sponsor, Berwins Solicitors, and from the local breweries taking part, Cold Bath Brewery, Daleside, Harrogate Brewery, Turning Point and Roosters.”

Read More: 

• Queen’s Platinum Jubilee: What’s On in the district
• Harrogate business man praises ‘amazing’ charity following £2m aid convoy into Ukraine

Martin Whincup, Head of marketing at Berwins, said:

“We’re delighted to be associated with this popular event as it returns from a pandemic enforced absence.

“This festival represents a fantastic opportunity to come together as a community and to raise money for a very important cause – Berwins is proud to support the work of Henshaws in this way.”

Tickets are available at Henshaws Beer Festival 2022 – Henshaws and each adult ticket receives a limited edition souvenir pint glass and two half-pint tokens, while children’s tickets come with a complementary soft drink voucher.

Turning Point Brew Co in Knaresborough has seen home deliveries soar during lockdown.

The brewery had always accepted online orders but received as few as “three over a few weeks” prior to lockdown, according to co-owner Aron McMahon.

But with more and more people craving their favourite beers when pubs were closed, home delivery orders rocketed to 200 each week.

Now the company has resumed supplying local bars and pubs, it is looking at its business model to see how it can sustain the increased number of home deliveries.

Mr McMahon said:

“Towards the end of lockdown the home delivery trade and our normal trade sales were neck and neck, whereas normally our home deliveries are much less.

“It definitely helped us big time. The first few weeks we really didn’t know what was going to happen without pubs. Before lockdown we had a few orders here and there – nothing really. Then over lockdown we were reached 200 orders a week!

“We also got a lot closer to our drinkers, which was great. Previously we only really knew our business contacts. Now it’s all about balancing out each side of the business.”

The brewery has quickly filled the space in its Knaresborough unit since moving less than a year ago.

Read more:

• More than 100 businesses across the Harrogate district is taking part in the Eat Out To Help Out scheme – here’s a list. 
• Harrogate’s breweries prepare as lockdown eases. 

The brewery moved to Knaresborough in the past year after out-growing its previous site in Kirkbymoorside, Ryedale.

Covid delayed the opening of its taproom for customers.

Mr McMahon said:

“We opened the taproom for the first time about a week ago. It’s been a bit of a challenge but it’s gone smooth so far. All orders are done on an app and the tables are nicely spaced out outside so we’ve had no issues.”

The brewery is also raising funds for local charity Henshaws by donating 10p from the sale of cans of the pale ale Perpetual Dawn.

Knaresborough Delivers continues to grow as it changes its focus to give more back to local businesses and encourage people to shop local.

The scheme was set up to help local businesses sell their products online during the pandemic. It allowed customers to order food parcels and greeting cards amongst other products from the comfort of their homes.

But as lockdown eases its focus has shifted to putting more money back into the local economy. The online shop will continue to serve local people but it will now give back 90% of the price to the local business.

Previously 30% was taken to cover the website and delivery costs but now the customer will pay a small delivery charge. This ensures the local business receives as much profit as they can.

The scheme’s efforts are appreciated by local businesses as they have found a new platform to sell their products. Aron McMahon from Turning Point brewery said:

“Knaresborough Delivers was a revelation for us, we had an online site but we didn’t have the human resources to run it and as a new business to the area people still wouldn’t know us. We’ve done really good out of this and its help us get closer to our local customers which is really important to us and we hope it can keep going.”

Ashleigh Lambert, co-founder of Knaresborough Delivers told The Stray Ferret:

“We are going to start doing recipe boxes, cocktail boxes and protein boxes by working with local chefs. Since the start of lockdwon we have put £50,000 into the local economy and supported 15 local businesses and given work to three local poeple who have been furloughed or out of work. The new pricing strategy means 90% goes straight back to the business and the other 10% will be used to cover our costs.”

The scheme has found ways to support several businesses in the area with themed boxes including afternoon tea.

Read more:

• As hospitality is given the green light to reopen in July a Knaresborough pub explains how they’re planning to reopen. 
• Knaresborough shop owners are feeling optimistic as they reopen their doors following lockdown. 

James Hirst, owner of Hirsts Bakery who also uses the platform, said:

“It was a really nice addition to what we were doing in the shop, it helped us still get our products to those customers who couldn’t come out.”

Knaresborough Delivers is a scheme that has found a way to prosper through the pandemic and hopes to continue supporting the town’s economy. It plans to move to bigger premises to allow people to have a shop to use as well as the online site.