From 18^th – 20^th June, Cheddar Ales will be enticing everyone to its second beer festival – a celebration of real ale held in amongst the weird and wonderful vessels of the brewery itself.

On offer will be a range of 45 beers from microbreweries across the country, cherry-picked to produce a Best of British showcase of real ale. “We source beers on the basis of their having won major industry awards over the past three years”, says festival organiser John Magill, “So for the beer lover it’s paradise – every beer you try will be a champion in its class. And for those that are new to real ale or just interested in food, drink and flavours, there’s no better place to start exploring one of Britain’s greatest craft industries.”

The range covers a wide variety of styles with something to suit all tastes. “We’ve got all sorts” says John, “lots of golden and pale ales perfect for summer quaffing, as well as classic bitters, milds, porters and IPAs. And, of course, it wouldn’t be a proper beer festival without a few specials, so we have a honey beer, a wheat beer, a couple of blondes and then some seriously strong stuff for the more adventurous drinkers.”

Of course the range also includes the brewery’s own award-winning ales such as Potholer and Gorge Best, and its elusive special brews such as Goat’s Leap IPA and Totty Pot Porter.

Other attractions include a varied selection of live music from local bands playing everything from Roots and Folk to Indie Rock and Blues. There is also an all-day barbecue cooking a range of locally-sourced goodies to help soak up the beer and this year the festival will also provide entertainment for kids during the afternoons to give parents a bit of time off to enjoy a pint or two.

Once again, visitors will be encouraged to make a weekend of it by camping on-site. John strongly encourages this approach. “You can fall out of the festival and straight into bed, then wake up and have beer and bacon sandwiches for breakfast.”

But if you can’t make it for the whole weekend, each day has its own character, says John, “Come on Friday night if you want the choice of the full range of beers, freshly tapped. We tend to get the connoisseurs in on the Friday along with those just looking for a good night out after a week at work. Saturday is ideal for a bit of afternoon lazing outdoors, but it gets more and more lively as the day goes on until it’s really bustling come the evening time. Sunday is Father’s Day, and we’ll have some special offers later in the day so we’re expecting lots of dads being treated to a day out.”

The beer festival will run from the 6pm on Friday 18^th ‘til late afternoon on Sunday 20^th June.  No need to buy tickets in advance, just turn up and pay on the door, although if you want to camp you will need to book a pitch. There is a free minibus running between Cheddar and Draycott, via the brewery, at peak periods.  Contact the brewery for more details.