When you buy a beer from Dean on Saturday night, whatever you do, don’t mention the score.
The passionate Liverpool fan is running a beer stall at the international street concert, selling his Wokingham-brewed beers to the thousands of people who will be in Broad Street.
And that diary clash means that he can’t keep an eye on the Champions League final, which will see the Reds attempt to beat Tottenham Hotspur to scoop the trophy.
Dean Bond, who runs Bond Brews, is a regular in Denmark Street’s The Crispin pub, where he has been watching the team progress to the final. And he’d hoped to be there to cheer the team on, but he’s got a diary clash thanks to the street concert.
“I’ve been a Liverpool fan since I was 14, I remember watching them win the European Cup Final in 1984,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed watching them in The Crispin and to my surprise they’re in Saturday’s final.
“Now I’ve got a dilemma over Saturday. I’ve got my stall and I need to run it and not hear the result. What do I do?”
His solution will be to record the match and then watch it around midnight when he gets home.
The International Street Concert is a massive event with thousands of people expecting to gather on Broad Street for the fun. And Dean is pleased that his fledgling brewery is expanding.
“Having a stall is progress,” he said. “The brewery is expanding and people are recognising us.
“I am looking forward to Saturday. I went last year, and thought I could do better [than some other stalls] so I contacted the council about a pitch and they said yes.
“We’re now selling local beer at the festival. I can’t wait, it’s going to be a great day.”
Mr Bond said that one of his mantras was to keep business as local as possible, so his main focus is a 30-mile radius around Wokingham.
“It’s great having the Street Concert on our doorstep,” he added. “People will be able to enjoy the music and local beer.
“I’ll be there to help them. As long as they don’t mention the score.”
