Festivals that feature food - why use a major brewery?

[Stu]

I'm going to Carfest in a few weeks (Well, roughly - I'm part of the car exhibits).

Now if you don't know what this is about, basically it started as "Food, Cars, Music". It's got a little beyond that now. It now includes StarFest where they invite celebrities and others to come talk to people about a subject. There's lots of Wellness stuff going on too from Yoga to Running.

This year, they're making a huge thing of the "Beer and Wine Tipple Tent" to match the food tent.

Now, you'd think "Ooh, here's an opportunity". Bear in mind, they've always had lots of stalls who sell spirits (I still have half a bottle of the "Christmas Cake Rum").

Their food hall is usually small niche products, or stuff that's made on-site or local farm shops. That kind of thing.

In the past, they also used to produce lager on the farm, so they sold that.

So what have they done with this Beer and Tipple Tent? Used some local microbreweries, small cider producers, English wines?

Nope. Timothy Taylor for bitters. Staropramen for lager. Aspalls cider.

Like most festivals, opportunity missed. It feels to me like using Heinz and Birds Eye to do the food stalls.

I did do Cornbury Festival a couple of years ago and they exclusively did Hook Norton Brewery, which was fine, because it was a few miles up the road and it's an independent, albeit medium-sized brewery.

 

[RichardM]

We go to Shrewsbury Folk Festival ever August bank holiday. They have an excellent beer selection. To me it's as much a beer festival as a music festival

 

[SMP Brewery]

Two most recent festivals I went to Latitude, great festival but totally S1ht beer think it was Carling plus a Cider and some beer, probably had 4/5 pints over the weekend.

Contrast that with Bearded theory that has numerous beer tents and has a deal with Thornbridge I seem to think the beers where all less than £4.00 as well, probably spent as much again as the ticket, I know who the winner was.

 

[SMP Brewery]

We go to Shrewsbury Folk Festival ever August bank holiday. They have an excellent beer selection. To me it's as much a beer festival as a music festival

Only live down the road and have never been, it’s worth a visit then. I used to work with Mike Wilson and I know they used to play every year.

 

[prog99]

The gathering (big music festival near me) was on the other month.
It had no macro beer at all and everything was from 2 local breweries. One of whom sold out early. Hopefully they got some converts.

 

[RichardM]

Only live down the road and have never been, it’s worth a visit then. I used to work with Mike Wilson and I know they used to play every year.

We enjoy, there's a huge range of music and it's not too big.

 

[MashBag]

Like most festivals, opportunity missed. It feels to me like using Heinz and Birds Eye to do the food stalls.

They didn't miss the opportunity to charge an enormous stand price. That is the problem. Organisers absolutely cane Catering & beverage stalls. So only the big boys can afford.

 

[Caramel Ox]

They didn't miss the opportunity to charge an enormous stand price. That is the problem. Organisers absolutely cane Catering & beverage stalls. So only the big boys can afford.

I think this is very much the answer. In fairness though Timothy Taylor isn’t a bad result though is it?

 

[An Ankoù]

I think this is very much the answer. In fairness though Timothy Taylor isn’t a bad result though is it?

Hmm. I'd drink it if that's all there was, but otherwise I walk to the next pub.
(But then if they only sold Doom Bar, I'd walk back/)

Oh for the days when all you could get was Sar Lite. You knew where you stood with a pint of Watneys.

 

[Stu]

Hmm. I'd drink it if that's all there was, but otherwise I walk to the next pub.
(But then if they only sold Doom Bar, I'd walk back/)

Oh for the days when all you could get was Sar Lite. You knew where you stood with a pint of Watneys.

Doom Bar is Sharps.

I think this is very much the answer. In fairness though Timothy Taylor isn’t a bad result though is it?

Not my bag at all. Even the major breweries are starting to do American style pale ales (even if they're not great).
My preference is either an APA etc or a dark beer (Old Peculier type thing)

They had neither. They basically came with Landlord and Hopical Storm. I love me a hoppy beer, but not the biggest fan of hoppy UK beers.
No porters or stouts (even though they brew both - I get it, it's summer)

The point with a Micro Brewery is that they'll normally come along with 3 completely different styles, which keeps everyone happy.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I think this is very much the answer. In fairness though Timothy Taylor isn’t a bad result though is it?

I think TT Landlord is a decent pint i would happily drink it if they served it in pubs round here.

 

[Deadhead]

The gathering (big music festival near me) was on the other month.
It had no macro beer at all and everything was from 2 local breweries. One of whom sold out early. Hopefully they got some converts.

Definitely helping Dog Falls I think - They've got a planning application in to put in a tap room.

I also like how Belladrum uses Black Isle Brewery* and the Burke & Hare stage had stuff from Cromarty, Speyside, and other localish small breweries - had some good pints there

*And Innes & Gunn - I don't mind a pint of their lager at all , especially on a warm day!

 

[Northern_Brewer]

Doom Bar is Sharps.

The fact that this festival had two Coors brands plus Taylors implies they did care a bit about beer - the easy option (as it is for many pubco pubs) is to take a full set of Coors products including Doom Bar.

The point with a Micro Brewery is that they'll normally come along with 3 completely different styles, which keeps everyone happy.

The point with a macro brewery is that they are prepared to pay thousands, if not tens of thousands of pounds for exclusive pouring rights, and it can be hard for pubs and events to turn down that much cash up front. That keeps the beancounters happy.