Went to the beer festival yesterday good choice of ales, however, disappointing that the catering staff were manning it. When asked which were pale ales I got “don’t know mate” and when asked for a taste of an ale got told “we don’t do that, you have to buy it”. I found this poor and thought the breweries would have sent their own staff so they knew about the beers!
Usually at a beer festival they will pour you a tiny sip to try, as you don't want to buy something then find out you don't like it and waste a full drink. Staff should know the products they are selling too.
I’ve been today and thoroughly enjoyed it. Some cracking ales on and great live music. Any beers I’m not sure I’ll like I just get aif, can’t judge an ale on a thimble. Well done to the organisers and hopefully it’s an annual do.
As a veteran barman at the Burton Beer Festival, this is strictly not on; at any Camra beer festival, punters are positively encouraged to have a taste of the beers on offer. Unless of course it becomes obvious that they are taking liberties....
Afraid I couldn’t get any breweries to provide staff. It’s not easy getting knowledgable folk to work beer festivals when it’s not organised by CAMRA. Although there were challenges I thought the clubs catering staff did amazingly well to say non of them had pulled a pint of real ale before Friday. Tasters were definitely allowed so that was obviously one that missed that brief.
Was it any busier on Saturday evening or Sunday? We went on Saturday afternoon and there seemed to be at most 50 people there. If not less. It made it look rather sparse in such a big space. Some cracking beers though, so we still enjoyed it.
Didn’t the breweries provide tasting notes? A list of beers can be produced so that customers can see what’s on offer and serving staff can have an idea of what their selling. That’s assuming the staff can be arsed to read it.
They could have done but I’d have had to put that in a format that could be used by the staff and I just didn’t have time. Next year I’ll do a beer list as it’ll be planned well in advance