24th June 2010

Hook Norton beer festivals makes ales fun.

The Hook Norton Brewery has unveiled a programme of beer festivals for its tenanted pubs. Between the 25 June and 1 October the company has unveiled a programme of 10 beer festivals in selected pubs.

Hook Norton Operations Manager Jo Hyde said: "Beer festivals are good for customers and good for pubs. "They provide a huge point of interest for the pub and are great way for a pub to celebrate the diversity of the region's brewers and the beers they produce.

"We want to keep the festivals local so the brewers we use are near to the pubs and near to our brewery." Pubs can choose from more than 70 beers from at least nine different brewers in addition to Hook Norton's range of award winning ales. "But we recommend that they serve no more than 12," said Jo.

The Hook Norton Brewery sets up and takes down all beer festivals including the supply of stillage and provides pint and ½ pint glasses for every festival. Once each pub has decided which beers it wants to stock Hook Norton deals with the supplying brewery and arranges for the beer to be delivered to the pub. And as the beers are normally served straight from the barrel no extra hand pulls are necessary.

Hook Norton provides pubs with point of sale material including banners and leaflets. The brewery can also arrange to supply beer tokens to pubs – these are ideal if the festival is being held in a tent or room away from a pub's main tills.

The Butchers, Arms in Balscote in Oxfordshire, OX15 6JQ recently held a beer festival. Licensee Kate Thompson, pictured, said, said in addition to their range of Hook Norton beers, they were serving 10 real ales from seven other craft beer producers.