Peterborough pubs with 30 beers, from 17 breweries, brewed by women

The former Camra pub of the year Hand & Heart in Highbury Street, and the Bumble Inn in Westgate, a micropub which has just celebrated its first anniversary, are getting together to highlight some of the best real ale in the UK that also happens to be brewed by a “Brewster” or female brewer.

Tom Beran, of the Bumble Inn, and ‘Bram’ Brammer, of the Hand & Heart, got the idea strangely enough over a few beers and initially thought of Brewsters Brewery of Lincolnshire, founded and run by Sara Barton, and kept adding all the female brewers they could think of until they had a pretty impressive list.

“Women have a very long connection with brewing,” said Tom. “In many early societies it was always the women who brewed the beer. Ancient Sumeria, Babylon and Egypt all had goddesses of beer, brewing and even drunkeness.

“Moving forwards a bit the Vikings drank Aul - from which our word Ale probably comes, and this was the sole provenance of the women. A record in England shows that women probably were the vast majority of brewers until the 13th century. These women, known as alewives, brewed beer in their kitchens.”

The event at both venues features over 30 beers from 17 breweries across the country, all brewed by women. Check the facebook page for either pub for tasting notes and more information.