Manchester’s Marble Brewery wants drinkers to raise a glass to end child poverty

A Manchester brewery is helping to raise awareness about high rates of child poverty in the city by making a Victorian-style bitter.

Marble Brewery’s latest beer invention will promote children’s charity Wood Street Mission’s new child poverty awareness event, a guided tour called Queues, Clogs and Redemption.

The beer, named Wood Street, will feature on Wood Street Mission’s guided tour, served free to all attending the charity’s historic city walk.

Matthew Howgate, head brewer at Marble Brewery, said: “It will be made with Marris Otter and crystal malts. Hops will be Admiral, which are an English hop. It will be beautiful.”

Brewed to authentic Victorian-era standards, the 3.6% ABV bitter is half the strength of some beers brewed in the 19^th century.

The Wood Street bitter will be available for a limited period from Wednesday 9 September, and will be sold in selected pubs across the city, including the Marble Arch and other Marble Brewery pubs.

Manchester has one of the highest child poverty rates in the country, with the End Child Poverty charity ranking the city as having the nation’s fourth highest percentage of children in poverty.

Wood Street Mission’s tour opens on Wednesday 9 September and tickets are priced at £5.

The Queues, Clogs and Redemption tour will take visitors on a guided walk around Manchester to see the old slums and experience the charity’s history, from rescuing street children in the 19^th century to their work in the present day.

Roseanne Sweeney, chief executive of Wood Street Mission, said: “The slums may have disappeared but sadly other features of life in Manchester and Salford which caused concern in the 19th century still exist.

“Growing inequality, low paid insecure work and the lives of large numbers of children being blighted by poverty. Today despite the affluence of parts of our cities, one in three local children is living in poverty.

“I am delighted Marble Brewery is helping us raise awareness about our work through this exciting collaboration.”

Picture courtesy of Admanchester, with thanks.