A Chester Market sensation, That Beer Place have now opened their doors on Foregate Street with events planned for the end of this month, but their market space will remain.

Owners Lisa and Dale Lord opened That Beer Place back in 2018, helping the market to become the UK's best small indoor market the following year. Now, they say their Foregate venue will be "beer and cider heaven".

Boasting 10 ever-rotating beer taps, 4 cider taps, carrying over 400 bottled and canned beers and over 100 ciders, with cask beer lines being added in the coming weeks. The venue will host bespoke beer and cider tastings, as well as collaborations with breweries, cider makers and fellow independents.

Dale Lord has designed the draught system from the ground up, to allow different beers to be served at style appropriate temperatures and carbonation levels. This means lagers will be served colder and more carbonated, whilst darker beers will be cool and with less "fizz". The aim is to bring the very best out in each style of beer and really showcase the style's unique characteristics.

The company say wines and spirits will be available for the "non-believers", but you might be given free beer tastings from the taps when you visit as That Beer Place are convinced there's a beer out there for everyone.

Chester and District Standard: The new tap room and bar will mean more space for tasting events. (pic: Steve Howe)The new tap room and bar will mean more space for tasting events. (pic: Steve Howe)

The first event in the diary will be a blind tasting event with Manchester-based craft beer superstars, Cloudwater on the 25th May, tickets are £25 and are now on sale at the new beer hot spot. The owners say the extra space will see tastings become a regular feature.

Despite the expansion, That Beer Place have no plans to ditch their market roots.

Lisa Lord said: "We love the current market and another empty unit is not what people want or need to see. We want to be there until the end to help support our fellow traders that still have their businesses in there.

"Our opening weekend has been amazing! We've seen lots of familiar faces and met some lovely new people. The response and support from customers has been overwhelming.

"Other businesses on the street have been in to welcome us and wish us luck, which is fantastic. It already feels like home. I think we're going to love it here."

Co-owner Dale said: "The constraints the new market's business model would have put on us would have meant we would have to cut back on many things we do today.

"Reducing our range, restricting our ability to run events and have outside collaborations, cutting back our wholesale and beer training operations and even limiting our online sales.

"Essentially, we'd have to stop being us and all at a very significant increase in cost. Why would we want to pay more to be so much less? It just didn't make sense. Going out onto the high street was our only choice."

The large new, dog friendly venue is over two floors, with a tasting room on the First Floor and the bottleshop and taproom for drink in and take away on the Ground Floor.

They also have an alfresco licence and will be adding outdoor seating for drinks in the sunshine when the British weather permits.