Skipton Beer Festival 2007
Skipton's
first beer festival for more than twenty-five years, held in the Town
Hall over the Bank Holiday weekend, was an outstanding success; so much
so that the advertised Sunday afternoon session had to be cancelled as
there was virtually no draught beer left at closing time on the
Saturday evening.
We were absolutely overwhelmed by the public response to the festival and the customer feedback was very positive. 1,661 customers attended on the Friday and Saturday, drinking more than 5,700 pints of 55 different real ales from around the UK, as well as smaller quantities of cider, perry and bottled German beers. They came from all over the United Kingdom and from as far afield as Berlin and Pennsylvania, USA, but there was also a good turn-out of local people. By 4.00 pm on the Saturday, the hall fire limit had been reached and customers were queueing to be admitted on a 'one out - one in' basis. We apologise to CAMRA members and other potential customers who were disappointed on the Sunday afternoon, but we hope that they took advantage of their visit to patronise some of Skipton's excellent real ale pubs. The festival passed off without any trouble and a friendly, convivial atmosphere prevailed throughout. If we are allowed to hold the event next year, lessons will be learned by the volunteer organisers and staff, but this was a first time effort and we had no idea what the demand would be. It just goes to show that there is a strong demand for a good choice of high quality real ales in Skipton!
Customers
voted "Woolly Jumper", a 4.4% ABV golden hoppy premium bitter brewed by
local branch members Graham and Trish Cundall under the watchful eye of
head brewer Dave Sanders at Elland Brewery, as Beer of the Festival,
while second place went to "Goose Eye Chinook" from Keighley, and third
place to " 1872 Porter", also from Elland. The collection for the
Prostate Cancer charity, nominated by Town Mayor Councillor Carole
Manley, who opened the festival, raised just over £300. A new, updated
edition of "Dales Ale - Craven District", the definitive pocket guide
to local real ale pubs, was launched at the festival and is available,
priced at £2.00 from Skipton Tourist Information Centre and selected
local pubs and bookshops, as well as through CAMRA HQ in the normal way.
