CAMRA Winchester Real Ale and Cider Festival returns
04 January 2012
The historic Guildhall welcomes the return of the Campaign for Real Ale’s (CAMRA) spring festival to celebrate craft brewing in the heart of Hampshire. The Southern Hampshire Branch of CAMRA worked with the Guildhall to bring the festival back in 2011 after a break of 25 years to showcase over 100 real ales, ciders and perries and some of the best local food and entertainment. The two day event was attended by 2,700 ticket holders drinking over 10,000 pints of real ale and cider.
Many of this years beers will be from the regional and micro breweries now in operation in Hampshire including some local and national award winners.
It will provide a great opportunity for the first timers to sample the variety of real ales and cider and to meet craft brewers and producers of the trade. Nationally there is now around 800 breweries producing some of the best and most diverse beer ever.
Despite still being dominated by carbonated beers such as lager, last year cask ale again outperformed the rest of the beer market for the 4th year running, increasing its share despite an overall decline in the total UK beer market according to this year's Cask Report*.
It’s encouraging that more than 7.8 million people now drink cask beer which is one in every six pints sold*. 2,500 more pubs, bars and clubs now sell real ale, a 5% increase in distribution. CAMRA festivals such as these give not just regulars but newcomers (mostly younger) an opportunity to find out more and sample the massive variety and quality of real ale and cider with friends and good food at a well organised local event.
Entertainment will also feature across the four sessions of the festival and includes; The Strand (Friday evening), 'Last night of the Proms' with Denmead Brass Band (Saturday afternoon) and State of Undress (Saturday evening).
Food will include the favourites; hog roast, BBQ sausages, pies and curries. All of which will be provided by Hampshire Fare members; Upton’s of Bassett and Winchester’s Bangkok Brasserie and Bengal Sage.
For the parents with young families, Saturday afternoon’s session will coincide with some free children’s entertainment in the Eighteen71 café in the newly refurbished ground floor area.
The festival opens; Friday 16th March 11.30-4.00pm (£5) and 6.30-11pm (£10) and on Saturday 17th March 11.30-4.00pm (£5) and 6.30-11pm (£10). Tickets are available from mid-January; via our website (booking fee applies), by sending a SAE and cheque payment to: 29 Westman Road, Winchester, SO22 6DU and from following pubs; (Winchester) Fulflood Arms, Hyde Tavern, Westgate Hotel, William Walker and Black Boy, (Southampton) Waterloo Arms, Guide Dog and Bitter Virtue.
Ticket price includes souvenir glass and programme plus £2 of vouchers to card carrying CAMRA members.
More information is now available by visiting the website below or call the ticket line (info only) 07587 242797.
Festival Organiser, David Mackie added, ‘it's great to bring this well attended event back to the Guildhall and to showcase some of the best ale around. There’s a growing interest amongst younger drinkers (18-24 year olds) in cask ale and the number of women drinkers has doubled since 2008, so whether seasoned or new why not come along to one of the four sessions and have a great time finding out more about our national drink?’
*Cask Report, Britain's National Drink, 2011-2012, published in September 2011
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