I went to Stockport's first craft beer festival and might have to go back for more

Stockport’s own Runaway Brewery is celebrating its 10th year in business by hosting their first craft beer festival from May 30 to June 2.

The four-day event is taking place at their taproom on Astley Street and founder Mark Welsbey could not be more grateful. 

“Our little brewery started with very humble beginnings, so the fact we’re still here is amazing to me,” he said. “We want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has supported us over the last 10 years – both within the hospitality industry and of course the beer drinking community - we really wouldn’t still be here without them.”

I went down to see all the craft beer festivities this independent brewery has to offer.  Of course, the first thing I did was search for the perfect pint, where I was left with more than 30 different options of craft ale to choose from. Spanning across three bars, the ground floor, first floor and pop-up garden bars, there seemed to be a beer for each mood.

The ground floor bar served a few forgotten flavours of the brewery’s original classics as well as a taste of the present with some fun birthday specials for the occasion. The first floor is where the Café Beermoth pop-up was held, while the pop-up garden bar showcased some seasonal beers from keg and cask.

Of all the options, I felt it was only right to try one of their special birthday beers. I got their Birthday Pale Ale, which was crisp and refreshing. It’s easy to see why the bottles and glasses were stacking up at the bar and people were ordering more.  

As the afternoon went on, I tried some sourdough pizza from Honest Crust found in the pop-up beer garden, and it paired perfectly with the craft beer. Despite the cloudy weather, the vibes were far from miserable. I can only imagine how the celebrations will only get better throughout the night when the Stockport Sound System DJs arrive from 6pm to get the party started.

All in all, this festival was a banger, and made the perfect day out for any craft beer enthusiast – it wouldn't be a surprise if this festival were to return because of popular demand.