The Taming of the Shrew

I’m quite disappointed with my visit to Shrewsbury Beer Festival. It boasted 117 beers, so it must be a good-sized venue. It was a twenty-minute walk from the rail station and looked to quite promising as you had to cross the river and it would be the first building on the left. As I approached I saw a large brick structure with parkland alongside the riverbank which would be perfect for supping beer outside. But once you were inside the venue, the whole side of the building was sealed off, leaving a beer hall, a corridor randomly limed with chairs, and two small seating rooms which looked like a cafeteria. The bar had a mixture of barrels on stillaging as well as handpumps which allowed them to squeeze in extra beers. There wasn’t much of a festival atmosphere, but I did get to try beers from breweries that I’d never heard of before. Eventually, a sense of escapism overpowered me and I decided to get out and try some local pubs.