Tickets are already selling well for the Campaign for Real Ale’s [CAMRA] Weymouth autumn beer festival in seven weeks time, on Friday 3 and Saturday 4 October- where 5040 pints of real ale from 70 different casks will be on sale, along with twelve ciders and perries. The venue is again Weymouth’s Ocean Room, much praised by festivalgoers in the three previous years- said by the organisers to be a key part of the success of this annual event.
“The Ocean Room provides the best venue in our town for a beer festival,” says West Dorset CAMRA Chairman Dave Harris. “Not only does it have the space to allow plenty of seating, but there’s the superb view of Weymouth Bay right outside the big windows. The Pavilion team are helpful and supportive, which helps us to run a festival that our guests regularly rate as excellent.”
“This will be our fourth October beer festival at the Ocean Room and some CAMRA members come long distances to enjoy Weymouth,” comments CAMRA spokesman Michel Hooper-Immins. “Many will stay for the weekend and their families shop in the town- a valuable out-of-season economic boost for Weymouth. Many festivalgoers will converge on the Ocean Room from all parts of Dorset.”
West Dorset CAMRA’s October beer festival was held for eight years at Brewer’s Quay, but closure of the Hope Square attraction in early 2011 forced a move. Moving to the Ocean Room in 2011 meant more real ale drinkers could be accommodated and last year almost 1400 tickets were sold for the event, spread over two days. There will again be live music on Saturday evening.
Once again, 1400 tickets are on sale over four sessions, 11am to 3pm and 6pm to 11pm on Friday and Saturday 3 & 4 October. Tickets cost £5 for Friday & Saturday evenings, £4 for Saturday lunchtime and £3 for Friday lunchtime. They are being sold by West Dorset CAMRA online at www.camrawdorset.org.uk/Octoberfest.htm or fromThe Boot, The Globe & Charlbury Food & Wine in Weymouth and the Blue Raddle at Dorchester. Weymouth Pavilion box office [01305 783225] has a supply, as has CAMRA Chairman Dave Harris at 01305 772286.
Some 70 firkins of real ale will be on tap, amounting to 5040 pints of beer. Of these, 48 firkins will be from the Cotswolds and Forest of Dean, including North Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, North Oxfordshire, Worcestershire, South Warwickshire and Monmouthshire. Around 22 barrels will be provided by Dorset breweries. Blandford brewer Hall & Woodhouse will be bringing six casks of experimental brews from their new mini-brewery. Around a dozen ciders and perries complete the choice.
“I’m looking forward to this event, as every year we alternate between the West Country and a region,” comments Bar Manager Rich Gabe. “With the huge growth in microbreweries around the Cotswolds, it seemed a great opportunity to sample some different real ales.”
Michel Hooper-Immins
