Great Welsh - Festival Roundup

Well thank you everyone who attended the Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival this year and made it the outstanding success that it was. This gives us a firm base to build on for next year and make the Festival bigger and better with more real ales and ciders in 2012.
Apologies for those who turned up on the Saturday night, despite emergency reorders of beer coming in that morning, we still sold out and finally closed at 2030hrs, although we shut to admissions a few hours earlier. This is the first time the Festival has ever run out of beer and last year a lot of beer was poured away on the Sunday morning so it is a difficult balence to get right. All the organisers can say is that next year we will make the Festival better with a bigger range on.
This year over 6000 thirsty customers drank their way through over 20,000 pints of real ale and over 5000 pints of cider and perry.
Highlights of the Festival for me were beer wise:

• The fantastic Oxymoron from Otley Brewery - a dark IPA - a contradiction in terms and on the tongue but one that actually works very well.

• Brains Strong Ale, although I found it a little too sweet for my tastes. I was very impressed by their British Summer beer though, dry hopped with Styrian Goldings imparted a good citrusy flavour to it.
• Tomos Watkin bar - we don't get to see the full range of their beers usually so it was a good chance to try them, my favourite was Chware Teg - another light-coloured ale.
• Red Kite Brewery, only tried one of their beers but it was the excellent Cwrw Haf - hope to see more of their ales around in future.
• Fullers, one of my all time favourite breweries and we had both their Chiswick and ESB here. The Chiswick was a perfect session beer on Friday night after stepping out of my busy office backstage. 
• Neath Ales Green Bullet - yes I know I rave about this beer but it is a great beer and I enjoyed it on the Saturday afternoon. 

I did not get a chance to try the Champion Beer of Wales, Rhymney Dark at the Festival, but I did review it a few weeks previously in my South Wales Echo column.

The problem with being the organiser of the event was that I did not have chance to try as many beers as I would have if I had been a customer! As for the ciders and perries - well I tried a few when I was judging but hardly had the chance to try them all - although a gallon of perry from Llanblethian Orchards did find its way into my office during setup and was shared amongst staff and press if they happened to be in there!

Press Roundup:
Media Wales and their photo gallery from Your Cardiff:


There was also a pre-festival interview with Matt Otley of Otley Brewery.
.....and a little interview with me in the Echo

BBC Wales
We were also on BBC Radio Wales on Thursday

ITV Wales - our man in the white jacket fell victim to the colour balance at the Arena!
We also made it onto the ITV Wales blog

Real Ale Guide

Simon filmed this before tasting some beers with Nick Otley:

Travels with Beer 

Visit Cardiff

Visit Wales Blog

Southern Wales Tourism

During the Festival regular updates were posted on Twitter and Facebook, with the hashtag #gwbcf proving very popular. We also have the Flickr page - well done to Jonas for taking all the photos this year!

A big thank you to our 150 staff who turned up during the Festival and also to our customers and finally to all our supporters, including the breweries and cidermakers who helped make this the biggest and best festival yet!

Real Ale Guide visits the Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival

Simon from Real Ale Guide filmed this at the Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival yesterday

Rhymney Brews the Best Beer in Wales

Rhymney Brews the Best

A brewery from Merthyr Tydfil has today completed a clean sweep of awards at the Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival. Rhymney Brewery, based in Dowlais, walked off with both the Silver and Gold Medals in the Champion Beer of Wales competition, organised by the South Wales branches of CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale. The Festival plays hosts to the competition every year and it is open to all 40 or so breweries in Wales, who between them brew over 350 different beers each year. The beers are tasted by CAMRA members throughout the year before an independent panel of beer experts sample the finalists on site at the Festival.

Rhymney Brewery was founded by father and son team Steve and Marc Evans in 2005 and have previously won Champion beer of Wales with their Dark.

According to Festival Organiser James “Arfur” Daley, “Congratulations to Rhymney Brewery on their success in the Champion Beer of Wales competition. Well done to Steve and his family for winning both awards, Rhymney Dark is a fantastic beer and it is so good to see an old brewery name resurrected and now being served from beer engines in pubs across the South Wales valleys.

Champion Beers of Wales 2011

Gold: Rhymney Dark

Silver: Rhymney Export

Bronze: Otley O8

Tasting Notes for Rhymney Dark, 4%

 

Rhymney Dark, is, as its name suggests, is a dark coloured beer with a deep reddish hue and pours with a beige head. A complex aroma of sweet and roast malts and blackberries leads to a bittersweet chocolate flavour and a slightly astringent finish with some vanilla overtones. A good mild beer, not too strong and easy to drink.

The Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival is open until 2300hrs on Friday and 1100-2300hrs on Saturday 18^th June.

Festival Facts:

• Over 6000 thirsty drinkers are expected at the 3 day event.
  

• 24,000 pints of real ale, cider and perry will be consumed during the Great Welsh.
  
• Over 10 pints a minute will be served during the festival.
  
• Almost 4500 pints of cider and perry will be available.
  
• Over 270 different real ales, ciders, perries and foreign beers will be available at the Great Welsh.
  
• 1000 pints of German beer will be specially imported for the Great Welsh.
  
• Over 130 CAMRA members will be volunteering to work at the Festival.
  
• The bar is over 70 metres long! Making it the longest bar in Wales.
  
• The Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival 2009 is the 11th annual Festival, the 4th at the CIA, the previous 7 having been held at Cardiff City Hall.
  
• Pub games, stalls and food will be available at the Festival

Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival, Cardiff Motorpoint Arena (formerly Cardiff International Arena), Mary Ann Street, Cardiff CF10 2EQ

Open: Thursday 16^th June, Friday 17^th & Saturday 18^th June 11-11 all days

Entrance £6 (£5 for Under 26s and CAMRA members), includes souvenir glass and festival programme.

For more information: www.gwbcf.org.uk

Steve Evans, Rhymney Brewery, 01685 722253

www.rhymneybreweryltd.com

Festival Organiser:

Arfur Daley 0794 185 9902 info@gwbcf.org.uk

Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival - final beer list

Well all the beer has arrived on site at the Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival which opens on Thursday.
A few changes to the original beer list due to breweries not delivering etc but here is the final list:

Brewery Beer ABV

Banktop Mild 4.0
Brains Bitter 3.7
Brains British Sumer 4.0
Brains Dark 3.5
Brains IPA 3.4
Brains Rev James 4.5
Brains SA 4.2
Brains SA Gold 4.6
Brains Strong Ale 5.5
Breconshire Brecon County Ale 3.7
Breconshire Cribyn 4.5
Breconshire Golden Valley 4.2
Breconshire Ramblers Ruin 5
Breconshire Welsh Pale Ale 3.7
Breconshire The Mayor's Inspiration 4.4
Breconshire Ysbrid y Ddraig 6.5
Bryncelyn Buddy Marvellous 4.0
Bryncelyn Holly Hop 3.9
Bryncelyn Oh Boy 4.5
Butcombe Bitter 4.0
Caledonian Deuchars IPA 3.8
Castle Rock Harvest Pale 3.8
Celt Experience Native Storm 4.4
Newmans Castle cream 4.7
Celt Experience Golden 4.2
Cerddin Cascade 4.8
Conwy Cwrw Mel 4.5
Conwy Beechcomber Blonde 4.2
Crouch Vale Brewer's Gold 4.0
Dark Star American Pale Ale 4.7
Elgood's Cambridge Bitter 3.8
Elgood's Black Dog 3.6
Evan Evans Cwrw 4.2
Evan Evans Golden Hop 4.3
Evan Evans SPA 4.2
Fullers Chiswick 3.6
Fullers ESB 5.5
Great Orme Celtica 4.5
Great Orme Welsh Black 4.0
Gwaun Light Ale 4.0
Harvey's Sussex best bitter 4.0
Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted 3.8
Heart of Wales Aur Cymru 3.8
Heart of Wales High as a Kite 10.5
Heart of Wales Irfon Valley 3.6
Heart of Wales Welsh Black 4.4
Hobsons Mild 3.5
Hopback Entire Stout 4.5
Hopback Summer Lighting 5.0
Jacobi Light Ale 3.8
Jacobi Red Squirrel 4.0
Jarrow Rivet Catcher 4.0
Jolly Brewer Taid's Garden 4.0
Kelham Island Pale Rider 5.2
Kingstone 1503 4.8
Kingstone Stout 4.4
Llangollen Grange No1 3.2
Loddon Ferryman's Gold 4.4
Mighty Oak Oscar Wilde Mild 3.7
Monty's Midnight Stout 4.0
Monty's Mojo 3.8
Monty's Sunshine 4.2
Moor Revival 3.8
Nant Mwnci Nell 5.5
Neath Black 5.5
Neath Green Bullet 6.0
Newmans Summerberry 4.2
Oakham JHB 3.8
Oakleaf Hole Hearted 4.7
Orkney Raven 3.8
Otley Colombo 4.0
Otley Dark O 4.1
Otley O Garden 4.8
Otley O1 4.0
Otley O2 4.2
Otley O6 6.6
Otley O8 8.0
Otley THAI BO 4.6
Otley MOTLEY BREW 7.5
Otley OXYMORON BLK IPA 5.5
Otley SAISON OBSCURA 5.5
Otley CROESO 4.2
Otley DUO (NEW) 5.4
Plassey Border Mild 3.6
Plassey Cwrw Tudno 5.0
Plassey Owain Glyndwr 4.3
Preseli Baggywrinkle 4.5
Purple Moose Dark Side of the Moose 4.6
Purple Moose Glaslyn 4.2
Purple Moose IPA 4.0
Purple Moose Snowdonia 3.6
RCH East St Cream 5.0
RCH PG Steam 3.9
RCH Pitchfork 4.2
Red Kite Cwrw Haf 4.1
Red Kite Gold Wing 4.2
Red Kite Thunderbird 4.5
Rhymney Bevan's Bitter 4.2
Rhymney Dark 4.0
Rhymney Export 5.0
Rhymney Hobby Horse 3.8
Rotters Utter Rotter 3.9
Rotters Whipping Tree 3.6
Rudgate Ruby Mild 4.4
Sandstone Edge 3.8
Sandstone Postmistress 4.4
Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby 6.0
Skinner's Betty Stoggs 4.0
Skinner's Cornish Knocker 4.5
St Austell Proper Job 5.5
Swansea 3 Cliffs 4.7
Swansea Bishopswood 4.3
Swansea Deep Slade Dark 4.0
Thornbridge Jaipur IPA 5.9
Thornbridge Seqoua 4.5
Timothy Taylor Landlord 4.3
Tomos Watkin Brewery Bitter 4.0
Tomos Watkin Cwrw Haf 4.2
Tomos Watkin Chwarae Teg 4.1
Tomos Watkin OSB 4.5
Tomos Watkin Lion's Pride 4.3
Triple F Alton's Pride 3.8
VoG Chocs Away 4.5
VoG Grog y VOG 4.3
VoG Wheats Occurrin 5.0
VoG No 1
Waen Landmark 5.5
Woodforde's Wherry 3.8
Wye Valley Butty Bach 4.5
Wye Valley DG Golden Ale 4.2
Wye Valley DG Stout 4.2
Wye Valley Ginger Pride 4.3
Wye Valley HPA 4.0
York Centurion's Ghost 5.4
Zero Degrees Mango 4.5
Zero Degrees Pilsner 4.8

In June 2011 the Campaign for Real Ale will be transforming the Motorpoint Arena, formerely the Cardiff International Arena, into the biggest pub in Wales.

The Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival is the premier real ale event in Wales and includes the Champion Beer of Wales competition which is held on the Friday. There are now around 35 real ale breweries in Wales and we hope to present beers from them all, as well as real ale from across the UK.

Altogether the festival will feature over 150 different real ales and more than 40 ciders as well as an unbeatable selection of foreign beers.

Opening hoursThursday June 16th 11am - 11pm
Friday June 17th 11am - 11pm
Saturday June 18th 11am - 11pm

Admission price
Admission costs £6 per person, which includes your limited edition glass and souvenir programme. CAMRA members and those under 26 will receive an allowance of beer tokens. There is no need to book tickets in advance, although you may be interested in our bulk ticket scheme.

Other information
Hot and cold food is provided by the Motorpoint Arena and is available all sessions.
We are pleased to present live music on Friday afternoon & evening and Saturday afternoon. Thursday is reserved as a quiet day.

A busy week

Photo: www.jonas-photography.co.uk

 Today is the second day of setup at the Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival, apologies for the lack of blogging but I've been a bit busy at the Festival, hence the lack of blogging, but you can follow my updates on Twitter, @ArfurD as well as on Facebook. We also have a Flickr account so you can see the photos of the festival.

Was a nice surprise to see Glynn Roberts of the Rake today at Cardiff Railway Station as he headed up north to brew at Otley Brewery today.

Ciders at the Great Welsh

Only a week to go before CAMRA volunteers start setting up the Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival and the provisional cider list is available, we hope to have 120 different ciders and perries on during the festival so below is just a taster of some of the fantastic cider and perry makers we will be featuring to the public at the biggest pub in Wales:

Ross On Wye

Gwatkin's

Oliver's

Gregg's Pit

Crossman's

Parson's Choice

Green Valley

West Croft

Hecks

Ralphs

Mad Hatter

Seidr O Sir

Springfield

WM Watkins

Old Monty

Berriew

Rosie's Triple D

Welsh Mountain Cider

Solway

Lancaster

Waukmil 

Troggi

Blaengawney

Gwynt Y Ddraig

Palmer's Upland Cyder

Seidr Dai

Llanblethian Orchards

Three Saints

Raglan Cider Mill

Rosie's Triple D

Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival

Motorpoint Arena (ex CIA), Cardiff

 Open:

Thursday June 16th 11am - 11pm
Friday June 17th 11am - 11pm
Saturday June 18th 11am - 11pm

Admission price
 Admission costs £6 per person, which includes your limited edition glass and souvenir programme. CAMRA members and those under 26 will receive an allowance of beer tokens.


View Larger Map

Beer List for Wales' Biggest Pub

Great Welsh Beer &; Cider Festival - Beer list.
Please note this list is provisional and subject to change/alteration.
 The festival will be held between the 16-18th June, at Cardiff Motorpoint Arena (ex CIA).


Amber Chocolate Orange Stout 4.0
Banktop Mild 4.0
Brains Bitter 3.7
Brains British Summer 4.0
Brains Dark 3.5
Brains IPA 3.4
Brains Rev James 4.5
Brains SA 4.2
Brains SA Gold 4.6
Brains Strong Ale
Breconshire Brecon County Ale 3.7
Breconshire Cribyn 4.5
Breconshire Golden Valley 4.2
Breconshire Ramblers Ruin 5
Breconshire Welsh Pale Ale 3.7
Breconshire Ysbrid y Ddraig 6.5
Bryncelyn Buddy Marvellous 4.0
Bryncelyn Holly Hop 3.9
Bryncelyn Oh Boy 4.5
Bullmastiff Brindle 5.0
Bullmastiff Son Of A Bitch 6.0
Bullmastiff Welsh Gold 3.8
Butcombe Bitter 4.0
Castle Rock Harvest Pale 3.8
Celt Experience Bronze 4.5
Celt Experience Castle cream 4.4
Celt Experience Gold 4.2
Cerddin Challenger 4.7
Conwy Cwrw Mel 4.5
Conwy Telford Porter 5.6
Crouch Vale Brewer's Gold 4.0
Dark Star American Pale Ale 4.5
Elgood's Cambridge Bitter 3.8
Elgood's Black Dog 3.6
Evan Evans Cwrw 4.2
Evan Evans Golden Hop 4.3
Evan Evans SPA 4.2
Facer's Dave's Hoppy Beer 4.3
Facer's Landslide 4.9
Felinfoel Double Dragon 4.2
Felinfoel seasonal
Fullers Chiswick 3.6
Fullers ESB 5.5
Great Orme Cambria 4.5
Great Orme Welsh Black 4.0
Gwaun Light Ale 4.0
Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter 4.0
Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted 3.8
Heart of Wales Aur Cymru 3.8
Heart of Wales High as a Kite 10.0
Heart of Wales Irfon Valley 3.6
Heart of Wales Welsh Black 4.4
Hobsons Mild 3.2
Hopback Entire Stout 4.5
Hopback Summer Lighting 5.0
Jacobi Light Ale 3.8
Jacobi Red Squirrel 4.0
Jarrow Rivet Catcher 4.0
Jolly Brewer Taid's Garden 4.5
Kelham Island Pale Rider 5.2
Kingstone 1503 4.8
Kingstone Stout 4.4
Llangollen Grange No1 3.2
Llantrisant ?
Loddon Ferryman's Gold 4.4
Marble Manchester Bitter 4.0
Mighty Oak Oscar Wilde Mild 3.8
Monty's Midnight Stout 4.0
Monty's Mojo 3.8
Monty's Sunshine 4.2
Moor Revival 3.8
Nant Mwnci Nell 5.3
Neath Green Bullet 6.0
Neath Black 5.5
Nethergate Umbel Magna 5.0
Newmans Last Lion of Britain 4.4
Oakham JHB 3.8
Oakleaf Hole Hearted 4.7
Orkney Raven 3.8
Otley Colombo 4.0
Otley Dark O 4.1
Otley O Garden 4.8
Otley O1 4.0
Otley O2 4.2
Otley O6 6.6
Otley O8 8.0
Plassey Border Mild
Plassey Cwrw Tudno 5.0
Plassey Owain Glyndwr
Preseli Baggywrinkle 4.5
Purple Moose Dark Side of the Moose 4.5
Purple Moose Glaslyn 4.2
Purple Moose Seasonal
Purple Moose Snowdonia 3.6
RCH PG Steam 3.9
RCH Pitchfork 4.2
RCH East St Cream 5.0
Rhymney Bevan's Bitter 4.2
Rhymney Dark 4.0
Rhymney Export 5.0
Rhymney Hobby Horse 3.8
Rotters Whipping Tree 3.6
Rudgate Ruby Mild 4.4
Sandstone Edge 3.8
Sandstone Postmistress 4.4
Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby 6.0
Skinner's Betty Stoggs 4.0
Skinner's Cornish Knocker 4.5
St Austell Proper Job 4.5
Swansea 3 Cliffs 4.7
Swansea Bishopswood 4.3
Swansea Deep Slade Dark 4.0
Thornbridge Lord Marples 4.0
Thornbridge Jaipur IPA 5.9
Timothy Taylor Landlord 4.2
Tomos Watkin Best Bitter
Tomos Watkin Cwrw Haf 4.2
Tomos Watkin Cwrw Idris 5.2
Tomos Watkin OSB 4.5
Tomos Watkin Scrumage
Triple F Alton's Pride 3.8
VoG Glory Daze 4.5
VoG Grog y VOG 4.3
VoG Wheats Occurrin 5.0
Waen Landmark 4.2
Wentworth Bumble Beer 4.3
Wickwar Penny Black 5.0
Woodforde's Wherry 3.8
Wye Valley HPA 4.0
Wye Valley DG Stout 4.6
Wye Valley DG Golden Ale 4.2
Wye Valley Butty Bach 4.4
Wye Valley Ginger Pride 4.6
York Centurion's Ghost 5.4
Zero Degrees Mango 4.5
Zero Degrees Pilsner 4.8

Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival
Opening hours Thursday June 16th 11am - 11pm
Friday June 17th 11am - 11pm
Saturday June 18th 11am - 11pm


Admission price
Admission costs £6 per person, which includes your limited edition glass and souvenir programme. CAMRA members and those under 26 will receive an allowance of beer tokens. There is no need to book tickets in advance, although you may be interested in our bulk ticket scheme.

Other information
Hot and cold food is provided by the CIA and is available all sessions.
We are pleased to present live music on Friday afternoon & evening and Saturday afternoon. Thursday is reserved as a quiet day.

Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival - Live bands announced

Only a month to go before the Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival opens its doors to the thirsty public of South Wales.

The Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, formerly the Cardiff International Arena (CIA), will be transformed into Wales' biggest pub for this three-day event.

 Entertainment line up:
Thursday will be a quiet day.

Friday will see the Champion Beer of Wales announcement at 3pm, followed by Cardiff Morris Dancers.

Live music announced!

Thursday will be a quiet day.

Friday will see the Champion Beer of Wales announcement at 3pm, followed by Cardiff Morris Dancers.

Friday night
Dansette will be returning
"Dansette are a horn-driven eight piece band who play an authentic mix of 60's Soul standards from the Stax/Atlantic/Motown stables. If you want to think Blues Brothers and Commitments you'll be half right, but we don't stop there, we'll take you on a Soul Journey through that golden era that you just won't want to end. Dancing shoes are optional but enjoyment is guaranteed!"





Saturday

Cardiff Arms Park Male Voice Choir will be joining us in the afternoon.

In the night we will have Still got the Blues - a Four Piece band from Pontypool, formed in 2007 from members of the Borough Blues Club. They have played at Pontypool 'Jazz in the Park' and other local festivals.
"If you want a bit of Blues, with a bit of classic rock thrown in, then come and see us, and get a smile on your face, and some rhythm in your toes!"




Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival
Opening hours

Thursday June 16th	11am - 11pm
Friday June 17th	11am - 11pm
Saturday June 18th	11am - 11pm

Admission price
Admission costs £6 per person, which includes your limited edition glass and souvenir programme. CAMRA members and those under 26 will receive an allowance of beer tokens. There is no need to book tickets in advance, although you may be interested in our bulk ticket scheme.
Other information
Hot and cold food is provided by the CIA and is available all sessions.
We are pleased to present live music on Friday afternoon & evening and Saturday afternoon. Thursday is reserved as a quiet day.

Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival

This year will see the Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival return to the Cardiff International Arena for the fourth year in succession and the festival this year is set to be bigger and better than ever. The video above is a compilation of photographs taken by me over the last 3 years of the festival, hope you enjoy them, sit back and look forward to the festival this year.

Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival 2011
16th-18th June
CIA, Cardiff International Arena
Mary Ann Street
Cardiff
CF10 2EQ