With all the excitement of the King’s Coronation, and its associated events here in Ruddington, plus The Big Sing, it might have escaped your attention that Ruddington’s famous annual beer and cider festival is ALSO happening this month?
Ruddfest 2023 runs from Thursday 25th May until Sunday 28th May – just before the Spring Bank Holiday. The dates now move slightly each year, due to Ruddington Village Market being on The Green on the first Saturday of each month. This time over 100 beers and ciders are promised across participating venues.
Organiser John Noble told RUDDINGTON.info: “The village green will have the usual set-up, as in previous years, with beer, cider, and a premium spirits wall with flavoured gin, vodka and rum. We’ll also have some live acoustic music and the usual DJ playing Friday and Saturday.
“The Frame Breakers is involved and will be hosting a stall from The Ruddington Arms doing their ‘Ruddy Clucker’ chicken and loaded fries. Plus The Grange will be here, too, with their hog roast sandwiches.”
Both The White Horse and The Red Lion pubs are also participating in RuddFest, but their events will begin on the Friday.
Andy Hunt, of The White Horse, revealed: “We’ll have food stalls, a Prosecco bar, real ale & cider tent run by the Navigation Brewery, a gin bar from ‘Ruddy Fine Gin’, a craft lager trailer and live music.”
Gareth McManus of The Red Lion says: “We’ll have live music all day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Food will be served all three days and we have Whitby brewery supplying us with all our outdoor cask ales. With me owning the pub in Whitby, it ties in really well.”
It’s certainly been a tough few years for the hospitality industry, with costs of everything still rising, and John very much appreciates the continuing support for Ruddington’s annual festival from both local residents and its thousands of visitors.
“It’s 100% now an event that people have marked in their diaries and look forward to attending each year. Hopefully, RuddFest will give people the chance to come out and have a great time with friends and family, and enjoy the lovely offerings that businesses in the village have.”
To tie in with John and Dave’s regular humanitarian trips there, Ukraine donation baskets will also be available at the event. Once again the duo hope people will donate their £1 glass deposit when they’ve finished to this worthy cause. Their next trip is due to start on 10th June.
Organisers ask you to drink responsibly and, if coming from further afield, to visit RuddFest using public transport, if at all possible – especially given that parking is very limited in Ruddington village centre.
Graham Wright via RUDDINGTON.info