Rescued Dudley beer festival hailed a success
Cheers! A winter beer festival which almost had to be cancelled has been hailed a success thanks to hundreds of real ale lovers.
The three-day Dudley Winter Ales Festival, sponsored by Woodsetton's Holden's Brewery, almost didn't go ahead due to organisers from the Dudley and South Staffordshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale initially cancelling it because of a shortage of people to help run it.
But members rallied round to save the festival and a phoenix rising from the ashes was appropriately chosen as this year's festival symbol.
Organiser Jacqui Edwards said the 31st annual fair was a huge success.
"The deputy mayor of Dudley, Councillor Dave Tyler, shook my hand and said what the fairs means to Dudley and how much tourism and people it brings in. The beer festival is a recognised small festival which is run by a team of volunteers who, this year, pulled together and made the fair a success," she said.
Entertainment was provided by the Bluebird Belles vocal harmony group, First Sedgley Morris Men and the Barrel House Blues Band.
An impressive £12,076 was raised for the Blind Veterans' Association and the Mayor of Dudley's charities.
Kinver Brewery's 7.5 per cent strength ale Over the Edge was voted beer of the festival.
The opening night also saw the judging of West Midland Camra's old ales and strong milds competition which was won by Dark Ruby Mild – six per cent – from Sedgley's Sarah Hughes Brewery at the Beacon Hotel pub.
