2008

Market Beer Festival 2008
From: InnSpire - Issue 76 – December 2008

It may have been Halloween, but the people of Chesterfield had better things to do than dress up in strange clothes and scare people (anyway, that’s normally done on a Thursday night around town), there was a new CAMRA Beer Festival to go to!

In conjunction with Chesterfield Borough Council’s Market Festival, the volunteers of Chesterfield CAMRA organised a two day Beer Festival, upstairs in the Market Hall Assembly Rooms.

All the beers came from the recently formed Derbyshire Brewers Collective (some of who are pictured above with our Chairman and Press and Publicity Officer), who were the events sponsors and featured a total of 38 beers from 13 of the Collective’s local breweries. Almost all of the beers available were the breweries standard beers and could easily be found in pubs in the Derbyshire area (and beyond).

The only exception was Brampton’s Aspire, which was brewed specifically for the Market Festival and contained pomegranates giving it a very interesting and refreshing taste. It went down so well, it was actually the first beer to sell out on the Saturday lunchtime and we just had to get another cask in for Saturday night, which also disappeared by the end of the session!

Entertainment on Saturday night was from the ever popular James and Chris of Firecracker – who again, wowed us with their acoustic performance – and if you missed them, make sure you get Friday night tickets for our February beer festival as they will be wowing us again!

Sponsoring the tokens was The Market pub, which was having a beer festival of their very own, just over the road and when we popped in, between sessions (and after take down for a gorgeous Sunday lunch, thanks Douglas) it was absolutely packed!

We already have plans to do a similar festival next year – so this may turn into an annual event! Many thanks must go to all the volunteers who assisted in any way to the success of this festival and to the excellent caretaking staff who tolerated us for the whole week-end, see you again next year then.

Elton Beer Festival
From: InnSpire - Issue 75 – October 2008

Elton is a small, unspoilt Peak District village close to Winster and Birchover and is probably best known to most of us for its CAMRA National Inventory pub, The Duke of York, but it also holds an annual summer beer festival.

This year was the festival’s 5th event and the main sponsors were Brampton Brewery & The Old Bowling Green at Winster, so in conjunction with the Brampton Brewery Club, a group of Chesterfield CAMRA members decided to attend on the Saturday, but first a few drinks at the brewery...

Pauline and I found ourselves at Brampton Brewery just after noon, which was luckily the same time as John and Jenny Hirst drove up to open the brewery and we felt a bit embarrassed at being the first there, but someone has to! It was a few minutes later that Mandy and Gareth arrived and then others from CAMRA and the Brampton Brewery Club.

We were all soon quaffing the three Brampton brews available; Golden Bud 3.8%, Brampton Best 4.2% and Impy Dark 4.3% which were all on excellent form and generously served by John and Chris (cheers chaps). Not long before we were due to leave (at 2pm), Chris told us that the Brewery bus, a 1970 Leyland Panther in the original Chesterfield Corporation colours would not like Slack Hill on the Matlock road and that we would drive to Elton via Chatsworth Park. This we did and very pleasant it was too especially as the sun was shining and the weather looked promising.

We arrived at Elton at 3pm. The beer festival was held in a marquee pitched in a field next to the cricket pavilion with splendid views around. The marquee had plenty of room, with a stage, several tables and chairs, the bar and food stall (all manned by volunteers). Most of us stayed in the marquee as the sky clouded over and it became a little chilly but at least it didn’t rain.

The festival featured all local ales; 25 of them from 19 Derbyshire breweries and 4 ciders. Unfortunately 5 beers hadn’t turned up (and I wanted 4 of them) but 4 different beers were substituted. Wine and lager was also available. The food was popular especially the Pork Cobs.

My first beers Globe Summer Ale 4.3% and Leatherbritches Goldings 3.6% were OK but nothing special but things improved with Funfair Gallopers 3.8%, Leadmill Summer Hop 4% and Derby Pale Phenomena 4.2% all very good. I slowed down with Headless Ebenezer, a pale beer at 6% (there did seem a lack of dark beers at this festival) and finished with a delightful Brunswick 2nd Brew at 4%.

It was nearly 7pm and time to go, the marquee was beginning to fill up and the first band The Somethings (yes that is their name) had set up. I caught the first song, a Kaiser Chief cover which was good, but the bus had to be caught and a visit to the outside toilets was a must (there was quite a queue as you can imagine) but everyone made it to the bus in time. We arrived back at Brampton brewery just before 8pm and an enjoyable afternoon was had by all. I would like to thank everyone involved in organising our trip especially Brampton Brewery and the villagers of Elton for putting on a smashing little festival.

Information about the Brampton Brewery Club can be found at the Brampton Brewery website www.bramptonbrewery.co.uk