Rum festival set to come to Hartlepool

Visitors enjoy themselves at a rum festival held at NMRN Portsmouth.

The top tourist attraction has announced that it is to host the inaugural Hartlepool Rum Festival at the site of HMS Trincomalee, Britain’s oldest warship still afloat, this summer.

Taking place on Saturday, August 11, the event will see the quayside at Jackson Dock authentically recreated, with the festivities taking place on board HMS Trincomalee and across the National Museum of the Royal Navy Hartlepool site.

There will be a large selection of rums available to sample, including Alnwick Rum and Pusser’s Rum, with further brands to be announced.

There will also be a number of rum-related masterclasses over the course of the evening and live entertainment.

The event comes following the success of a rum festival held at the National Museum of the Royal Navy Portsmouth, with the charity deciding to bring the event up north.

Rachel Shepherd, events manager at the National Museum of the Royal Navy, said: “We are excited to bring a rum festival to Hartlepool, following the success we have enjoyed in Portsmouth with similar events.

“The iconic HMS Trincomalee provides the perfect venue and the entire quayside will be recreated to make for an evening of entertainment and the opportunity for people to sample a selection of rum, from many popular brands.”

The festival will run from 7.30pm to 11pm and tickets cost £20.

To buy tickets, visit: http://www.hartlepoolrumfestival.co.uk