Clear your diaries for the week ahead, beer fans. There’s a new event in town and you’re going to love it: Sheffield Beer Week. It starts tomorrow and runs until Sunday 22 March.

Next weekend, the Society of Independent Brewers’ (SIBA) BeerX festival returns to Sheffield for the third year running. Beer lovers Julia Gray and Clare Tollick thought this was worth celebrating – so much so that they’ve launched Sheffield Beer Week to coincide with the national event.

Having seen dedicated beer weeks work in other cities, Julia and Clare thought it was time for Sheffield to join in with the fun. As there will be around 3,000 people visiting the city for BeerX, Sheffield Beer Week is a real opportunity to show off the very best of our beer scene. So, the pair have been encouraging pubs, bars and breweries to host beer-related events throughout the week.

Julia Gray, joint proprietor of Hop Hideout beer shop on Abbeydale Road, said: “We’ve been really pleased with the response that we’ve had to Sheffield Beer Week – it’s something that I’ve seen work well in other cities and I think there’s real appetite for it here too.

“We have some great events lined up including a beer and cheese pairing menu at Anchorage Bar, a barrel aged beer tasting with Siren at Shakespeares and a reading with renowned beer writers Roger Protz and Adrian Tierney-Jones at Sheffield Tap. But new events are coming in every day – it’s going to be a great week!,” continued Julia.

Clare Tollick, PR practitioner, said: “We’re especially excited about the closing party at Stancill Brewery on Sunday 22nd. Running from 1pm to 6pm, and with free entry, it’s open to anyone who wants to come and round off a beery week. There’ll be a nice selection of Sheffield beers so it’s the perfect opportunity to try some local ale too.”

Sheffield Beer Week runs from 16 to 22 March. Head to http://sheffieldbeerweek.co.uk/events/ for details of all events taking place. If you’re a bar or pub and interested in holding an event, contact Sheffield Beer Week at sheffieldbeerweek@gmail.com for more information.