Barrels of fun at beer fest

TESTING for the best (from the left) Tony Stretch, Peter Shaw and Chris Davies.

OLDHAM Beer Festival celebrated its quarter century in style, with more real ales than ever.

Beer lovers piled into the Queen Elizabeth Hall to choose from 76 beers from 28 different breweries, as well as a range of ciders, perries, fruit wines, foreign bottled beer and other drinks.

Festival organiser and local Campaign for Real Ale member, Peter Buckley, said: “It was really successful.”

All the breweries came from within 25 miles of Oldham and Rochdale - CAMRA prides itself on its ‘green’ credentials. The event was back for the second year after a two-year break

There were seven more beers available than last year, and one of the more popular choices was Greenfield Brewery’s special celebratory beer, Silver Owl - commissioned by Rochdale, Oldham and Bury CAMRA to commemorate the anniversary.

Proceeds from the two-day ale-drinking bonanza go to the Mayor’s Appeal, which this year supports three charities, Oldham Young Carers, the Alzheimer’s Society and the Oldham Liaison of Ex-Servicemen Welfare Fund.

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