Leeds Beer Festival

This event started on Thursday and runs until tomorrow.

I've just returned from the Friday lunchtime session, and, already, some beers have run out.

Unlike many other festivals, Leeds have a policy of not holding back beers for subsequent sessions. All are freely available from day one, and when they're gone, they're gone.

This is fine for people who can have time off work, or attend the Thursday evening session. For those who can only make it on Friday evening or Saturday, please be aware that you're not going to the Leeds Beer Festival - you're going to the Half-Leeds-Beer-Festival where all the most popular beers will be unavailable. (touch of the Python Cheese Shop Sketch here I think) Throw away your beer list - it's meaningless.

I can understand why this is done - it makes it easy for the staff, there's no need to monitor the flow of different beers. And Leeds Camra are obviously struggling, with an admission on their website that there's nobody to update it. So no criticism of them is intended.

Just simply a warning that, by Saturday, beer drinkers may not have much of a choice, and whatever the case, it will be substantially less that their counterparts at Thursday's sessions enjoyed.

Reply to
M Platting
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We found that at Hull beer festival last year - to the extent that there was no beer at all on the Saturday afternoon.

Or evening!

Disappointing after having travelled 200 miles to get there!

Reply to
Chris de Cordova

Planning arrival time can be a balancing act.

I once arrived on the second day of a festival to find most iof the beer gone. So I arrived at the start of the next festival to find most of the beer wouldn't be ready until the second day. My brother once turned up at the last hour to find 90% of the beer still undrunk and got to guzzle as much as he liked as what was left in an hour's time would be poured away.

Reply to
Manky Badger

Festival - you're going to the Half-Leeds-Beer-Festival

obviously struggling, with an admission on their website

For the record, this is simply not true.

We started with 157 beers. At close on Friday, the number of beers that had sold out could be counted on the fingers of one hand. First thing Saturday, well over 100 remained available, which is more than many festivals have available when they open. When we closed on Saturday evening, some 25 were still available.

In any case, rationing beer to sessions in the way described is, by our understanding, in direct contravention of CAMRA policy.

Tony (Beer Orderer, Leeds Beer Festival)

Reply to
tony

Festival - you're going to the Half-Leeds-Beer-Festival

obviously struggling, with an admission on their website

While not taking sides on this one, it seems you have a large number of fingers on one hand Tony.

We don't hold beers back in ROB either, so come to Oldham at the end of this month.

Details here:

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Peter

Reply to
Peter Alexander

Of course you are entitled to your view. I base my view on the dip sheets from Friday, which are in front of me.

Folk are possibly confusing beers that had run out with beers that had not come on. There's no obvious way for a punter to tell the difference without asking. According to these 'ere sheets there were eight of those (six of which were on by Saturday morning, and two of which never cleared at all).

Tony

Reply to
tony

Not confused at all. I was having a little joke about the discrepancy between numbers and your fingers.

I'm with you on this one

Peter

Reply to
Peter Alexander

Can you point me at that in the policy document? I remember it being discussed at an AGM, but I didn't think anything had been passed.

Reply to
Ian Dalziel

Festival - you're going to the Half-Leeds-Beer-Festival

obviously struggling, with an admission on their website

Looked at your site and there are lots of nice beers that I recognize, but...

Why the lack of Bank Top beers, only 4 of their many very nice beers?

Abbyedale beers I know, but can a beer at 11% really be called a beer? Surely it has come into the wine area with hops :-)

Richard Bazen should really have more beers on show. He is a very good master brewer.

Phoenix is another brewery that is under represented, or are you denying them their spread of excellent beers because that are local to Oldham?

I could go on, but my main disappointment is the lack of the very many beers from the Lake District. Hawkshead and Coniston spring to mind, let alone all the others I can't remember right now. There are an awful lot of Yorkshire ales that are missing, as well as a lot of more local beers from the Manchester area.

Dave, who will try and get down the few miles of the M61 to sample some beer.

Reply to
Dave

Snip

Ho ho.

No it's a beer.

Richard is an excellent brewer as reflected by the fact we have 3 of his beers on.

As above and now I'm starting to worry about you.

Umm. Perhaps we should have asked you to be beer orderer. Both Yorkshire and Greater Manchester are well represented. Sorry no Lake District Beers but I don't know why that is any more than you do. I'm guessing cost would be a factor. CAMRA makes us run to very tight budgets unless w charge silly southern prices for our beer or charge for member which we don't ever do.

See you there then.

Peter

Reply to
Peter Alexander

.... ?

Reply to
Chris de Cordova

If you look at the link, all will be revealed!

Peter

Reply to
Peter Alexander

4.31 The control of all beers, ciders and perries sold should be in the hands of the festival organisers to ensure maximum quality and choice to all festival goers at all times.
Reply to
Brett...

Cheers, Brett. So it isn't "in direct contravention" at all.

Reply to
Ian Dalziel

This, of course, is meaningless.

Reply to
M Platting

Surely that means that beer availability is left to the discretion of the festival organisers. And arguably a policy of rationing will maximise quality and choice over the full duration of the festival.

Reply to
PeterE

No it means the policy means that the local branch can take appropriate actions to ensure the best beer quality.

Whether you agree or diagree with the policy is a different matter but the policy is anything but meaningless.

Reply to
Brett...

Yup!

Reply to
Brett...

Choice, but not quality. Arguably. :-)

So it doesn't actually come down on either side of the fence.

Reply to
Ian Dalziel

Are you saying that branches should not have the flexibility to decide what is right for their festival?

In terms of beer rationioning: Side one of the fence: Branches control if beers should be rationed Side two: National policy decides if beers should be rationed

If you feel that that there should be a policy saying that CAMRA beer festivals should/should not ration beer, then simply write a proposal so that it can be put to the rest of the membership.

As a start I would suggest you find out the view of festival organisers on the CAMRABF mailing list (members only)

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cheers

Reply to
Brett...

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