ADVERTISING FEATURE
Stroud Brewery is finally old enough to drink!
Between Friday 7th – Sunday 9th June, the brewery is inviting everyone to its free, weekend-long Malty Story Party to celebrate its 18th birthday and say thank-you for their support over the years. The brewery is here because of Stroud’s community – it raised the funds needed to start it, expand and to stay afloat during the pandemic, as well as buying its beer over the years!
The birthday party offers an extravaganza of bands, beats and beer for 3 days on 3 floors with more than 50 acts and DJs, such as Thrill Collins, DJ Queen Bee and The Achievers, well-known acts with a UK-wide following. Special kids’ entertainment is included in Sunday’s programme with a rock disco, live graffiti painting and clown, though children are welcome on Friday and Saturday until 7pm. The brewers have added specials to the usual range of organic beers: there’ll be limited editions of a new beer, Party Pale, along with Sno and Redcoat, past beers which are being resurrected as a result of a public vote. Entry to the party is free but there’ll be the normal charge for drink and food.
Friday’s Gloucestershire Extravaganza
Friday showcases Gloucestershire’s best talent between 4pm – 11pm with Thrill Collins, The Achievers (one of top touring Blues bands in the UK), Plucking Different, and leading DJs Fade and Juicy. The Balcony Bar hosts the Love Circus burlesque show featuring Ana Toxin, along with acts by Ivy Malice, Rafi Hula Hoop and the Magnificent Mr Kai. Up in The Loft, DJ Jag P hosts the Global Beats World Music Rave.
Eat, drink and be merry!
There’ll be not one but three special edition beers on tap during the weekend party. The brewers have created a celebratory pale ale called Party Pale, plus very limited editions (only 160 pints of each!) of two past beers – Sno IPA and Redcoat IPA which came top in a public vote of favourite past beers. Redcoat is a rye IPA originally brewed in 2012, and Sno is a north-eastern IPA from 2018.
Grab a bite to eat throughout the weekend from a selection of street foods (like tacos, pulled pork and deep-fried halloumi), plus pizzas, a BBQ in the evenings and brunch 10am – 4pm.
Saturday’s grooving
The day-long programme between 11am and 1am on Saturday offers K-Dee, DJ Robbie Duncan, The Bob Porter Project, Man Like Bro, The Lookout, Adjua, The Honest Poet Society, Rudi, Skunkadelic & The Digital Kid, Pete Daisy, Neon Pumps, Jungle Cast, Nicky Blackmarket with MC Supa D on the main stage.
In the Balcony Bar from midday to midnight will be dub & reggae sound system Splash by Stroud’s Valley Steppas, with special appearances from Global Beats, Rising Youth, Champion Love DJs, Three Bags Full, Shaybae, George of the Jungle, Bryony, Buster, and Myogeniks.
The Loft is hosting a day’s rave led by Midlife Crisis (aka Jamie Rainbow and Sam T) together with Darius of Crooked Stylus.
Sunday’s chillzone & family funday
On the final day, the entertainment runs from 11am to 9.30pm. D’artagnan, Kingsonik, The Swing Rioters, Albino Tarantino, Poppy Rose, Thee Ones, Fidel Cutstro & Symatic and DJ Queen Bee (legend of Bristol’s music scene) take to the main stage. The Balcony Bar hosts the Sweet Soul Sunday All Dayer with Tony Soulprano & Friends from 1pm.
For families, Mr Kai will be clowning around to entertain the children, Zed in the Clouds will run a live graffiti session, Bubbly Heaven will be making giant bubbles everywhere, the Rock Disco between 11am – 1pm in the Balcony Bar will get kids burning off all that energy and, if there’s still any left, there’s the bouncy castle.
Everyone at the brewery is greatly looking forward to celebrating the 18th birthday with local people. In a time when companies look outwards to create new business opportunities and maximise profits to thrive, Greg Pilley, the brewery’s founder and MD, believes the answer lies by looking closer to home. As the brewery’s experience shows, when a business roots for its local community, it roots for them in return. This can open the door to a whole multitude of opportunities for both to not only survive but thrive and create a better life for everyone. After all, wasn’t this the role of pubs in past times when everyone went to their ‘local’?
