After 22 years of continuous publication, Beer Today is set to end in its present form, on 21st May, publisher Darren Norbury has announced.
“There’s just you?” PRs and other agencies often ask. Yes, just me, a laptop, and a kitchen table
“Personal family circumstances mean that I need to find myself a part-time job,” he said. “Unfortunately, Patreon support for Beer Today is nowhere near to covering its costs, such as hosting, software, etc.
“My plan was always to make Beer Today as accessible as possible, without pop-up ads and other distractions: just the news. But the Patreon scheme, despite being incredibly reasonable when compared to other media organisations, just hasn’t taken off.”
Darren updates Beer Today as and when, seven days a week, all hours. That agility has paid off many times with early breaking news. Not bad for a man with a laptop at a kitchen table. Although 47 years of experience in newspapers helps.
“We own a bi-monthly community magazine in St Ives,” Darren added, but that’s not a full-time proposition. Two magazine offshoots of Beer Today, one national and one local to Cornwall, were among the plans if Beer Today was long-term viable, along with an annual beer yearbook and directory, both projects costed and ready to go with the St Ives magazine’s excellent printers.
“I’ll make a final decision on the future of Beer Today at the start of May, so if anyone does want to become a Patreon supporter, that link is here. (If the website closes, the Patreon scheme closes, of course.) And if anyone would like to invest. let me know. I’m realistic about the future, but it would be great to find a way to keep Beer Today going. I’m a huge fan of independent brewers and venues, of course, and I want to help them get their messages out in these challenging times.”
Email Darren @darren.norbury@gmail.com
