Times News

Beer festival draws the crowds

10:56am Friday 3rd September 2010

NEWCOMERS to the North-East real ale scene are already being toasted by fans of traditionally produced beer in the region.

Drinkers were eagerly sampling some of the best new cask ales at the opening session of the 30th Durham Beer Festival last night.

Organisers, from the Durham branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra), announced their annual award winners during the trade session which precedes the public launch of the festival, at Dunelm House, the Durham Students' Union complex, in New Elvet, Durham.

While several of the category winners were regulars on the roll of honour, there were some new names among the winners.

A rising star in the region's micro-brewing industry appears to be the Yard of Ale, an in-house brewery, based at the Surtees Arms, at Ferryhill Station, County Durham.

Set up in April 2008 by licensee Alan Hogg and his wife Susan, it has quickly come to the attention of the region's real ale drinkers.

The Surtees Arms has been named Pub of the Year by the Durham branch of Camra, and to celebrate the Hoggs have brewed a special festival beer, Thirty Yards, to reflect the event's three decade milestone.

Other special festival beers have been produced by the Maxim Brewery, of Rainton Bridge, Houghton-le-Spring, and Durham's Hill Island Brewery.

The festival runs from 11am to 11pm today and tomorrow, with a £3 entry charge.

Beer tokens cost £1.25 per half-pint for beers under eight-per cent gravity.

Award winners announced by branch chairman Peter Lawson were: Cast Iron, produced by the Consett Ale Works, in the Bitter category; Workie Ticket (Mordue's Brewery, North Tyneside), in the Best Bitter section; Allendale Brewery's Wolf emerged as the best Strong Bitter; Gold Tankard, from Wylam Brewery, near Newcastle, was the top Golden Ale, while it also took the best Porter honour for Haugh; McConnell's Irish Stout, from the Jarrow Brewery, was named the Stout winner; and, festival regular the Durham Brewery, from Bowburn, took both Best Bottled Beer, for its Temptation, and the leading Speciality Beer, Vice.

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