One of the region’s bigger annual beer festivals is back after a two-year hiatus due to Covid restrictions.

The 40th Durham Beer Festival will finally take place at its home of recent years, at the city rugby club’s Hollow Drift clubhouse on Green Lane, over four days at the end of the month and into early September.

Organisers, the Durham branch of the Campaign for Real Ale, stressed it was “postponing” the 40th real ale celebration when it announced the cancellation of the annual event in 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic and its lingering knock-on effects.

But in June this year the branch announced: “After a difficult couple of years we are finally able to hold the 40th Durham Beer Festival in 2022!”

Read more: 40th Durham Beer Festival cancelled once more

It will take place back at the rugby club, which staged both the 2018 and 2019 festivals, following many years at its traditional home, at Dunelm House, the Durham Students’ Union building, on New Elvet.

Although the full line-up of beers is still being confirmed for the return of the festival the branch is aiming to have 30 hand pulls and between six and eight ciders available.

Branch chair Paul Dobson said its 2023 calendar will also be on sale at the festival.

“It features drawings of Durham City pubs and is the work of talented local artist Adele Shallow.

“The calendars cost £5 and proceeds will be going to Macmillan Cancer Support.”

Read more: Organisers 'undecided' over staging the 40th Durham Beer Festival

First pints will be pulled at 4pm on Wednesday August 31, but on the following three days, Thursday to Saturday, September 1 - 3, opening time will be 12-noon, with last orders each night at 10.30pm.

Further details are available via www.durhambeerfestival.org.uk, the festival website.

Read next:

Fortieth festival will now take place in 2021

Touch down for Durham beer festival

Durham Beer Festival will remain at last year's new venue, at the city's rugby club, in late August

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