Hundred beers are offered at festival in Saltaire (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Hundred beers are offered at festival in Saltaire

8:00am Saturday 2nd February 2013 in News By Julie Tickner, T&A Reporter

Drinkers from across the Bradford district will be raising a pint to celebrate the 16th beer festival in Saltaire this month.

Bradford Beer Festival will attract more than 3,000 people who will be able to sample more than 100 different beers, 15 types of cider and several fruit wines.

Organiser Tony Constable (pictured), from the Bradford branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), said the event was good for the village.

He said: “It gets a lot of people in. Many years ago, some of the pubs were concerned that we were pinching their trade, but they’ve had some of the best weekends ever.

“People buy other things within the village. They might have lunch and take a gift home.”

The three-day event, which runs from February 23 until March 2 at Victoria Hall, is staffed by volunteers from Bradford CAMRA with 50 to 60 working each session.

Mr Constable said some people even took the whole week off work to help with preparing and running the festival, doing tasks such as setting-up, selling beer and of course, tasting it to check its in tip-top condition.

He said: “It’s very hard work for everybody who’s involved. Everybody does need a great big thanks in advance.

“We start setting-up the Sunday before the event. The beers arrive on Monday and Tuesday, then it has to settle for a day or two before we sell it.”

The festival will feature beers brewed locally, as well as German and Belgian ones, and possibly some from the United States.

Mr Constable said ticket sales were going well and urged people to book early to avoid missing out.

“There’s an excellent atmosphere. It’s a wonderful event. We have some entertainment at most sessions. There’s certainly a good band on Friday and Saturday night and the Wurlitzer organ playing – it comes up through the stage,” he said.

Full details of festival opening times and ticket prices are at www.bradfordcamra.org.uk/beerfestival.html.