Forum Topic

Is it free to go into the Beer Festival in Walpole Park?

Seem to remember last year you had to pay. Does anyone know?

Penny Crocker ● 5055d21 Comments

If the Council charged an extra fifty pence per visitor perhaps they could finally fix the broken pump on the pond!

Jon F. Doctor ● 5048d

Actually yes, we did make that mistake. Odd. We bought 10 beers last night, but have nearly 30 in the house. The other beers which have a date on it show the best before date.I retract most of my previous post. We did get sold out of date beer last year (and it was horrible when we found out, too late!), but not this year.

M. Duley ● 5048d

Are you sure you have not confused the "BREWED ON" date with the "BEST BEFORE".  A stock check this morning revealed an issue with 1 beer.  If you bought that one we will refund you when you return.

Roy Tunstall ● 5048d

Avoid buying any of the Belgian beers there.We just got home with two bags full, having spent over £30 on 10 bottles to take home. Having got them home, my wife noticed that of the five that have best before dates on them, all of them are way beyond their dates. Is that even legal? Total rip off - those beers were between £3 and £5 a bottle. Can we expect that the other five beers which had no BB dates are also past their best?The worst thing is, we should have known. We were sold out-of-date bottled Belgian beers at last year's festival too. We should have checked. And we won't have time to take them back as we're going away for the weekend and will be packing tomorrow night.Is this a regular CAMRA scam?A shame, and a disappointing end to an otherwise pleasant night.For anyone who does go, I recommend the Milk Street "Zig-Zag" stout if it's still up, very nice indeed.

M. Duley ● 5049d

Apart from being a CAMRA member and arriving before 4pm you can buy a pint in one of the Forester, Red Lion, Castle Inn or Wheatsheaf and they will give you a programme granting free entry to the festival. Limited stocks in each pub.

Roy Tunstall ● 5052d

Well there are over 800 breweries in the country and we only have room for around 200 beers. I can count 24 beers from Yorkshire from the following breweries:- Acorn, Black Sheep, Bridstones, Elland, Kelham Island, Little Valley, Marston Moore, Naylors, North Yorkshire, Partners, Rudgate, Saltaire, Summer Wine, Village Brewery and Wharfbank.Both Pigs Ear and London Drinker have LocAle bars. Our customers tend to like beer from further a field.

Roy Tunstall ● 5053d

The beer list is extensive but I am disappointed by nothing from The Chiltern Brewery locally and little from Yorkshire.

Graham Weeks ● 5053d

Apparently Reading BF have queues up to 3 hours. Our attitude is if you are standing outside you are not drinking our beer!

Roy Tunstall ● 5053d

> ...only 10 minutes...Clearly there is limited understanding around these parts of the deterrent effect due to such a delay...

Tony Colliver ● 5053d

Last year's festival had the most impressive pork scratchings I've ever seen.

M. Duley ● 5054d

I might suggest a forum meet but as the last one was Gerry Tan and I only ..... :(-

Graham Weeks ● 5054d

I would encourage forum readers to go.  It's a great evening, especially if the weather is good.  It's unusual amongst beer festivals in that it seems to attract more casual attendees and is not dominated by the diehard boozers (like me).

Nigel Williams ● 5055d

The queue was only 10 minutes in 2011.  The previous year there were major problems including a fire in the park which forced us to close the gate.

Roy Tunstall ● 5055d

Thanks Bud.  We are all volunteers and we have to break even.  There are only a limited sources of income - beer prices and admission.  I would point out that Ealing Council takes £1 for everyone who pays £3.

Roy Tunstall ● 5055d

It's not so much that (very nominal) entry charge, it's the endless queueing to get in. Last year I took one look at the long static queue snaking round the park and about-turned for home.

Chris Veasey ● 5055d

I'll see if the old boy is up for a pint and a pickled egg.

Penny Crocker ● 5055d

Penny, don't miss this. You can get very merry for much cheaper than the pubs for a night. These guys have overheads to cover and £3 is not a lot and it is good fun. Be naughty and steal your glass and feel that moral victory as you tuck into your post beer fest kebab (replace kebab for whatever post drink snack appeals)

Bud Richards ● 5055d

LOL !! Yes, I think you're right. They must miss out on casual trade though, by charging. Seems counter productive but then the British mentality is if something isn't popular enough to cover costs, charge the loyal punters even more to compensate.

Penny Crocker ● 5055d

But for your entry, I believe that you can keep your logo'd pint glass.Either that, or I've stolen from there for the last couple of years....

Bud Richards ● 5055d

Silly. I shan't be going.

Penny Crocker ● 5055d

£3 according to ther website.  http://www.ealingbeerfestival.org.uk/

James Goodden ● 5055d