The 31st annual Peterborough CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) Beer Festival – the largest event of its kind out- side London – will take over a host of marquees on the Embankment in a matter of weeks.

The popular festival – which attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year – will feature more than 350 real ales produced by 130 breweries from around the country.

Some of the breweries are new and didn't exist in August last year and in a coup for the organisers, a selection of beers are being brewed especially for the festival and are unavailable elsewhere.

Competition:
Win one of 10 pairs of tickets to the Peterborough Beer Festival (Closing date noon on Friday, August 15 2008).

Visitors will also be able to sample one of the largest collections of traditional cider and perry – more than 100 varieties – to be found anywhere, as well as a fine collection of European bottled beers.

And it is more than just a beer festival, as there will be live music every evening, a fun- fair with rides, a CAMRA shop, a tombola, pub quiz, book shop, glass engraving, traditional pub games and a wide selection of food, including German sausages, French pan- cakes and South African biltong to wash down with the beer.


Beerfest has helped lifeboat cause

The Peterborough Beer Festival III – an Atlantic Class vessel – was launched last year, at a special service conducted by the Dean of Peterborough, the Very Rev Charles Taylor.

It was the third lifeboat to be paid for by donations from generous real ale fans at a cost of more than £100,000.

It will go into a reserve fleet and will go into active service when a boat is damaged.

Peterborough's link with RNLI started when its crew came to the first Peterborough Beer Festival and asked organisers if they could collect more money for the cause.

In the past 20 years, the festival has raised more than £200,000 for the charity.


The festival is organised and staffed by unpaid volunteers, with any profits going to CAMRA to help with campaigning for drinkers' rights, good pubs and good beer.

Secretary of the Peterborough and District branch of CAMRA Harry Morten said: "It has become the major social event in the Peterborough calendar with beer aficionados trying new beers early in the week. Saturday is the main family time with people turning up with kids, dogs, hampers, picnic tables and chairs, prams and buggies.

"Evenings at the weekend is the busiest time with young people who would normally be touring the city centre pubs opting for an evening of real ale and music.

"As the festival is in the centre of town it is only a short walk from the bus, coach and railway stations and there is a taxi rank just outside the gate."

The event takes place on The Embankment, from Tuesday, August 19, to Saturday, August 23.

For more information, call Harry Morten on 01733 764296, e-mail info@beerfest.org.uk or visit www.beer-fest.org.uk.

External link:
CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) website