2,000 visitors for Celtic Beer Festival

l St Austell Brewery managing director James Staughton (left) and head brewer Roger Ryman serving customers at the Celtic Beer FestivalSt Austell Brewery managing director James Staughton (left) and head brewer Roger Ryman serving customers at the Celtic Beer Festival

December 5, 2005: With more than 2,000 coming through the door to sample some 200 ales, this year's Celtic Beer Festival has been deemed a great success by organiser St Austell Brewery.

Yes, it was cosy at some points down in the cellars of the brewery, which give the festival such a fantastic atmosphere, but it was a day to remember, for organisers and visitors alike.

By mid-afternoon the incomers were queuing to get in, waiting their turn as a 'one in, one out' system came into operation. Some of the latecomers were a little disappointed that some of the most popular brews - notably those created specially for the occasion by St Austell head brewer Roger Ryman - had started to fall by the wayside.

Live bands reverberated throughout the depths of the brewery and there was a real party atmosphere, boosted by 80 volunteer brewery workers who stayed cheerful to the end.

"It was a fantastic day with a wonderful atmosphere and it was great to see so many people, men and women across the age range, enjoying the huge range of real ales and dancing the day away to some brilliant live music," said Roger.

"I'd like to thank all those people from the brewery, our pubs and suppliers who gave up their time to help make the event so special and to raise money for charity." Money raised from the event will be distributed to charities in Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset through the St Austell Brewery Charitable Trust.

This year for the first time all food was provided by a team of St Austell Brewery's pub managers led by the brewery's catering development manager, Paul Drye - all using fresh Cornish produce and some using beer in the ingredients. The team put in all their efforts for free and did a roaring trade in chillies, currys and, of course, steak and Tribute Cornish pasties, with all the food profits going to local charities.

Cornwall CAMRA deputy chairman Gerry Wills, who was there with a strong contingent from the branch, said: "The brewery and the festival have gone from strength to strength and it was a very enjoyable event. Roger Ryman again did his finest with all the special brews he created."