Glasses at the ready for the Bromsgrove Beer Festival

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BROMSGROVE Beer Festival gets underway for CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) tomorrow (Thursday).

The event, organised by the Redditch and Bromsgrove branch of CAMRA takes place at Bromsgrove Rugby Club.

On Friday (June 29), the event opens to the public from 5pm to 11pm and it continues between 11am and 9pm on Saturday, June 30.

There will be entertainment from Blackwell Concert Band and the White Hart Morris Men on the Saturday. And, on the Thursday, June 28, from 6pm to 11pm, there will be an evening for CAMRA members.

Redditch and Bromsgrove CAMRA chairman Paul Richards said the festival would be a great opportunity for residents to try traditional beers and ciders they would not normally find in the pub.

"So if you’ve never been to a beer festival before, why not make this your first?"

As well as boasting more than 100 ales, along with 45 ciders and perries and fruit wines, the festival will also be raising funds and awareness of the Bromsgrove branch of the Royal British Legion.

The cash collected will go towards the charity which provides practical and emotional support to serving members of the armed forces, veterans of all ages and their families.

Admission, which includes a festival glass and programme, is just £5 and there is a discount for card-carrying CAMRA members. Food will be available at all sessions and other drinks will be available from the Rugby Club.

Members of Redditch and Bromsgrove CAMRA will also be asking visitors to help save the Great British pint.

Statistics show one third of every pint goes to the taxman in beer duty and VAT and that will increase every year as part of the Government’s beer duty escalator.

This will increase the pressure on community pubs already struggling to survive and will damage the sustainability of the beer and pubs sector.

CAMRA is calling for the Chancellor of the Exchequer to abandon the escalator at the next budget and is asking everyone to sign the e-petition at camra.org.uk/saveyourpint

If the petition reaches 100,000 signatures, the campaign can force a high-profile debate in the house of commons to stop the escalator on beer duty.

For more on the festival, including a beer list, visit www.bromsgrovebeerfestival.org.uk

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