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WHAT: The hugely popular Stonehaven
Real Ale Festival returns for its third outing
WHEN: Thursday, November 3; Friday, November 4 (5pm to midnight) andSaturday, November 5
(from 1pm until visitors
drink us dry)
WHERE: Stonehaven Town Hall
WHO: Organised by local real ale
fans.
Contact is organiser Robert Lindsay on07840
678243 or at
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REAL
ale fans are being invited to take a tour of every brewery
in Scotland ... without leaving Stonehaven Town Hall. The
hugely popular Stonehaven Real Ale Festival is back for a
third year and offering visitors the unique chance to
sample an ale from every working brewery in the country
under one roof.
Organiser
Robert Lindsay said: "This really will be a celebration of
the best in Scottish real ale and we plan to create a
special atmosphere in the Town Hall over the three days of
the festival. "We
will bring in the finest brews from the Highlands, the
east coast, the west coast, central Scotland and the
Borders. "We
are even creating a special bar upstairs for island
breweries ... our own ‘Road To The Isles' if you like,
although some might think of it as a stairway to heaven,
given the sheer quality of the beer on offer." "In
all, there will be almost 70 ales on offer, giving people
the chance to take a world tour of Scotland's breweries
without setting foot outside Stonehaven Town Hall."
The
Stonehaven festival has carved itself a reputation for
more than just beer in its previous two outings and Robert
is determined visitors will once again come away having
had one of the best nights out of the year, confirming it
as a highlight on the North-east calendar. "We
have great music, with our own entertainment director Iain
"Skirlie" McFadden - well known in the North-east as a
leading light in The Trybe - working hard to sign up the
finest local musical talent to make sure the festival hits
the high notes. "The
popular big screen, showing vintage Scottish films and
programmes, will make a return, and we've looked out the
stovies recipe that proved so popular last year," added
Robert. "But
what really makes this festival such a success is the
people who come along. You couldn't ask for better craic
and friendlier banter. "And
they do come from far and wide. As well as folk from right
across the North-east, we have had English, Irish and even
Scandinavian visitors making the trip to enjoy our
festival."
Last
year, the event attracted 2,000 people over three days and
Robert is hoping to repeat that success again - for a good
reason. "The
organisers are just a bunch of local real ale fans and we
do this for fun, not for profit. The money we make will go
to local charities. Last year, we raised £5,000 for MRI
and we hope to give our community a similar boost this
year."
The
festival also has a new main sponsor this year, the
award-winning Houston Brewery. Robert
said: "It's a real coup for us to have Houston on board as
their Peter's Well has just been named
Champion Best Bitter of Great Britain for 2011 in the
national CAMRA awards. "They
will be helping us brew our special festival ale this
year, so it should be a winner, too."
Each
year, the festival creates its own ale for the event,
reflecting the town's heritage. The first, Memorial,
recreated a beer from the town's own long-gone brewery,
while last year's Spirit of Glenury paid tribute to
Stonehaven's defunct distillery. Details
of this year's ale are being kept under wraps, but Robert
said it would once again pay tribute to Stonehaven's
tradition and history. Robert
said: "We are into the final planning stages now, to make
sure we put on the best real ale festival we can. "All
we need now is for people to turn up and have a great
night ... so put it in your diary."
The
festival is this year sponsored by Houston Brewery (www.houston-brewing.co.uk),
Harviestoun Brewery (www.harviestoun.com) and The Bay Fish and Chips,
Stonehaven (www.thebayfishandchips.co.uk)
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Caption shows Stonehaven Real Ale Festival
organisers Robert Lindsay and Joanne MacRae getting
ahead with planning this year's event that will feature
a beer from every Scottish brewery.
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