A PUB landlord has produced a new beer which he hopes will encourage people to visit Derby's Cathedral Quarter.

Terry Holmes, who runs the Old Silk Mill in Full Street, said he had created the new ale in the hope of attracting people to spend their money in part of the city centre that has suffered during the recession.

Coming in at 3.9% abv, the golden session pint, called Cathedral Quarter Ale, has been brewed by Blue Monkey brewery, based in Ilkeston.

Mr Holmes said: "Businesses, especially shops in the Cathedral Quarter of Derby, have been hit badly by the recession and I want to try to remind people that this is a beautiful part of the city with some fantastic independent outlets.

"By producing a new beer and getting people to come over here and try a pint or a half they might think about wandering around the shops.

"A lot of shop owners have complained they lost a lot of trade after the Westfield Centre opened.

"The Derby Telegraph ran a campaign called Open for Business, showcasing businesses in the area.

"All I am doing here is the same, but on a much smaller scale."

Mr Holmes and his wife Janina took over the running of the historic pub in April.

The pair had previously made a success of the Old Dolphin, in Queen Street, with the Derby branch of the Campaign for Real Ale naming it City Pub of the Year between 2000 and 2002.

Mr Holmes said: "The Mayor of Derby, Sean Marshall, is going to be here tomorrow night to pull the first pint and I hope it's the first of many.

"From Thursday I will be having a five-day beer festival serving 40 real ales, 20 of which will be local ones.

"I love the beers that Blue Monkey produces and always like to support local businesses, so hopefully the people of Derby and Derbyshire will do the same."

Martin Langsdale, chairman of the Cathedral Quarter Management Group which is driving forward initiatives under the area's business improvement district status, said he was looking forward to sampling the beer.

He said: "This is a brilliant idea and we all can't wait to taste the Cathedral Quarter Ale for the first time.

"I know that the staff at the Old Silk Mill pub are extremely proud of the heritage of their premises and of the Cathedral Quarter as a whole.

"It is excellent that they, like many other businesses in the Cathedral Quarter, are going the extra mile to raise awareness of the area and give people another reason to come here."

Cathedral Quarter Ale will be on sale at the Old Silk Mill from tomorrow. The beer festival opens at 11am on Thursday and runs until Monday

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