THE mayor of Weston, Cllr Ciaran Cronnelly, has said that he is "delighted" to have signed the first ever twinning certificate between two businesses in Weston and Germany.

In 1983, Weston twinned with Hildesheim, which can be found in Lower Saxony, Germany. Since then, the two towns have been exchanging ideas and learning more about different cultures.

Weston's Pinkers Craft Brewery and Hildesheimer Braumanufaktur joined forces to create two special craft beers, both of which have gone to market and sold out, showing "how fantastic the partnership has been."

Posting on Facebook, Cllr Cronnelly said: "Today I was delighted to sign our first ever 'twinning certificate' between two businesses in Weston-super-Mare and Hildesheim.

"Scott and Lou from Pinkers Craft Brewery in Weston-super-Mare are passionate about Weston-super-Mare and to celebrate our connection with Hildesheim they worked with Jan and Malte from Hildesheimer Braumanufaktur and brewed a special twinning beer.

"First Scott and Lou travelled to Hildesheim with a car full of ingredients and brewed a new American Pale Ale called ‘funky punch’ at the brewery in Hildesheim.

"Jan and Malte - from the Hildesheim brewery - then returned to Weston-super-Mare and brewed the Keller-Pils ‘Hilde-Mare’.

"Both craft beers have gone to market and both have sold out!

"Their success shows how fantastic the partnership has been and I'm delighted we signed the twinning certificate today to confirm this partnership.

"Although our relationship with Hildesheim started as a youth exchange it has become so much more than that and I'm keen to see other businesses following in the footsteps of Pinkers Craft Brewery and Hildesheimer Braumanufaktur."

A spokesperson from Weston Town Council explains the importance of these collaborations: "Twinning, or sister city programs, are initiatives that facilitate connections between communities in different countries, encouraging cultural, educational, and economic exchanges.

"The twinning of Weston-super-Mare and Hildesheim has proven to be a meaningful and enriching experience for both towns. It has allowed the residents to appreciate their similarities and differences, promoting cultural diversity, and global understanding.

"The partnership has endured for many years, and it continues to strengthen the ties between these two vibrant communities."