Rotherham Real Ale and Music Festival

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File:Rotherham Real Ale and Music Festival official festival logo.jpg
Official logo of the Rotherham Real Ale and Music Festival

The Rotherham Real Ale and Music Festival (formerly the Oakwood Real Ale and Music Festival[1]) is an annual real ale festival that takes place in Rotherham, South Yorkshire. It is the largest UK beer festival taking place outside of London and unlike many other festivals serves all cask ales using traditional gravity-based hand pumps.

In 2012 the festival received over 11,000 visitors, with all profits donated to support local good causes. The event was hosted at the Magna Centre, Rotherham and featured a selection of 230 different varieties of Real Ale as well as 80 different types of Cider, Wine, Perry (Pear Cider) and Lager. In 2011, the festival was attended by 10,000 visitors, raised £35,000 for local good causes.[2] Benefiting Charities included: The Rotherham Hospice, Weston Park Cancer Hospital, Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice and Safe@Last. 85,000 glasses of beer were sold at the festival in 2011, which were sold in half pint measures making the Rotherham festival.

In 2013 the festival was opened by local World Superbike Champion James Toseland.[3] The 2012 festival was officially opened by the Rt Hon John Healey MP, former minister for pubs and Cllr Shaun Wright, the mayor of Rotherham.

Unlike many other beer festivals, the Rotherham Real Ale and Music Festival is not organised by CAMRA, but the festival does enjoy close links with the Rotherham branch of the organisation. Proceeds raised from the festival are used to support local charities and since 2011 it has given away approximately £125,000.

The next festival will take place in 2014, from March 5th to 8th.

History

The Oakwood Real Ale and Music Festival began in 1992, initially as a one off fundraiser to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the opening of Oakwood High School. Such was the success of the festival, that the event was repeated every year, helping to raise money for the school.

The early days of the festival saw just 20 different real ales feature at the event, with many teachers and parents working behind the bars to help make the event a success. The last event to take place at Oakwood School featured 220 different real ales, ciders, perries, lagers and wines.

The festival is well known for its quirky themes, which has been used to introduce different types of Real Ales into the festival. Year-on-year the selection of Real Ales has grown from the original 20, to over 250 in 2013.

Move to Magna

In 2011 the festival relocated from Oakwood School to the Magna Centre, due to the cramped conditions in the school, as well as providing space for the event to continue to grow in size. Between 1992 and 2010 all proceeds for the event were donated to supporting the work of the school.

Following the move to Magna, the festival has continued this charitable ethos, supporting a selection of charities within Rotherham and South Yorkshire.

Baa'sil the Sheep

Baa'sil the Sheep, who is featured in the festival logo is the official festival mascot. He first appeared at the festival in 2004, which chose Real Ales from "Sheep Counties" around the UK.

Baa'sil provides tasting notes about the different types of Real Ales that feature in the festival and has appeared every subsequent festival. In addition to providing tasting notes, jokes and trivia attributed to Baa'sil appear in around the festival.

Champion beers

Real Ales from Yorkshire that feature in the festival are eligible to enter the festival's Champion Beer competition, which is open to breweries based in Yorkshire and is a highly sought after prize by brewers in the region.

The 2013 overall winner of the festival was Full Malty, brewed by the Rotherham-based Wentworth Brewery.

Theme of the festival

Each year, the festival selects a theme which ensures that visitors to the event are able to enjoy a selection of Real Ales from around the UK. Previous themes for the festival are:

  • 2014 - Ale to the Festival
  • 2013 - Baa'sil Goes West
  • 2012 - Baa's of Steel
  • 2011 - The White Rose Festival
  • 2010 - Great Northern Festival
  • 2009 - A Day at the Races
  • 2008 - The Legendary Festival
  • 2007 - The Yorkshire Championship
  • 2006 - The Festival of Heroes
  • 2005 - Back to the Baa
  • 2004 - The Great Baa
  • 2003 - London to Yorkshire
  • 2002 - The Yorkshire Championship
  • 2001 - Barr of Soaps
  • 2000 - Yorkshire Greater Ales
  • 1999 - The Magnificent Seventh
  • 1998 - Sporty Sixth
  • 1997 -
  • 1996 - Fantastic Fourth
  • 1995 - Third Smashing Year! (First year the festival is referred to as the Rotherham Real Ale and Music Festival)
  • 1994 - The 2nd Real Ale Festival
  • 1993 - Unthemed
  • 1992 - 40th Anniversary of Oakwood School

References

  1. ^ "Oakwood beer festival on the move". Rotherham Advertiser. 2010-07-22.
  2. ^ Yorkshire Post. 13 October 2011 http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/around-yorkshire/local-stories/ale_and_music_festival_raises_record_35_000_for_charity_1_3864492. Retrieved 5 January 2012. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. ^ "Rotherham biker launches town's Real Ale festival". ITV. 26 February 2013.

External links

Official Festival Website:

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