BUSINESS sponsors of the Bury St Edmunds Festival, which starts today, are preparing to make the most of the opportunity to raise their profile over the coming two weeks.

Bury brewer Greene King is principal sponsor of this year’s festival, the 25th, and is hosting two new events as part of the programme – a sellout Charity Festival Ball and a Real Food and Beer Festival, tomorrow and Sunday.

Justin Adams, managing director of the Greene King Brewing Company, said: “We are incredibly proud to be principal sponsors of the Bury Festival, particularly in its 25th anniversary year.

“We have been involved for over 15 years and this seemed a great opportunity to offer additional support that could attract a new audience to the festival and to the town.

“That’s why we offered to host the ball, at which we aim to raise thousands of pounds for two extremely worthwhile causes, and to create a Food and Beer Festival that shows off the very best of the region.”

Another long-standing supporter of the festival is Music Sales, Europe’s largest publisher of printed music, which has its distribution headquarters in Newmarket Road, Bury.

Chris Butler, chief of operations, said: “We are proud to extend our long sponsorship association with the Bury Festival, which clearly goes from strength to strength.”

Cornhill Walk Shopping Centre has previously provided an unusual venue for festival performers from jazz singers to classical guitar players, and this year it will host a poet, John Hegley.

Manager Chrissie Harrod says: “It is wonderful to see the shopping centre transformed into a performance venue. It is very good for the town and brings in lots of people.”

Other supporters of the festival include the East Anglian Daily Times, as principal media sponsor, the Angel Hotel and housing association Havebury.

Managed by St Edmundsbury Borough Council, the festival runs until May 30.

For details of the festival programme and ticketing arrangements, visit www.buryfestival.co.uk .