WEYMOUTH’s OCTOBER BEER FESTIVAL IS NEARLY SOLD OUT IN ADVANCE- SAYS THE CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALE;
62 REAL ALES, “THE BEST FROM THE WEST”
The two evening sessions at Weymouth’s October Beer Festival next Friday and Saturday in the Pavilion’s Ocean Room have already sold out. West Dorset CAMRA [The Campaign for Real Ale] report there are only about 40 tickets still available for each lunchtime session next Friday and Saturday [7 and 8 October.]
“We knew it was a risk to hold the beer festival in a bigger venue, but most of the 1300 tickets have already been sold,” says jubilant CAMRA spokesman Michel Hooper-Immins. “It is clear the Ocean Room is going to be a super venue and the support from local real ale drinkers has again been superb. I am confident all tickets will have been sold by the time doors open at the Ocean Room next Friday at 11am.”
The festival has been hosted by Brewers Quay for the past eight years, but closure of the Hope Square venue earlier this year has forced a move to Weymouth Pavilion.
During this week, the 62 casks of real ale and 10 casks of real cider will be delivered to the Ocean Room. Most are awardwinners, either from CAMRA competitions or those of SIBA [the Society of Independent Brewers,] who represent most small UK breweries. Among the 62 real ales ordered specially for the Weymouth beer festival are eight from Cornwall, nine from Dorset, eleven from Wiltshire, 15 from Somerset and 19 from Devon.
“I have selected the best from the West,” says CAMRA Bar Manager Rich Gabe. “This year’s selection of West Country beers reflects the sheer diversity of beer styles brewed in our region.”
CAMRA member Paul Smith has been busy at his Gillingham microbrewery, making Blackberry Mild specially for the Weymouth festival. His North Dorset Elder Sarum beer having been voted Beer of the Festival at Weymouth last October and again at Dorchester this February, Paul Smith is intending to achieve the hat trick!
Among the 62 real ales are Exmoor Beast from Wiveliscombe in Somerset, Barum Mild from Barnstaple in Devon, the prizewinning First Gold from Hall & Woodhouse at Blandford St. Mary, Dorset and the Penzance Brewery’s Potion Number Nine- travelling to Weymouth from the far west of Cornwall.
St. Austell Brewery will be showing off six Cornish real ales at their own mini-bar at the festival, a brand becoming more and more popular in Dorset.
Rarely seen in Dorset are Wessex Russian Stoat, a strong stout from Wiltshire and Keltek Mild from Cornwall. Palmers at Bridport are sending their Tally Ho! strong brown ale, a firm favourite with many local real ale drinkers. The Pavilion will be selling a full range of snacks at all sessions.
All 400 tickets for the evening sessions are sold out. A few tickets for the lunchtime sessions on both Friday and Saturday 7 and 8 October [11am to 3pm] are available at £3 each. This includes a free festival glass to take home. Buy tickets from West Dorset CAMRA online at www.camrawdorset.org.uk or go along to The Boot pub at Weymouth, the Blue Raddle at Dorchester or Weymouth Pavilion box office. Telephone Dave Harris at 01305 772286 about last minute ticket availability.