All down to the Roundhouse again for winter ale festival

WELL, what do you know, it’s beer festival time again.

The 16th Derby Camra Winter Ale Festival starts on Wednesday, running to the Saturday night and it is, to all intents and purposes, Derby’s main beer festival now.

The long-running summer festival has stalled after a few attempts in a marquee following the infamous fire on the roof of the Assembly Rooms.

The marquee festivals were as popular and successful as any but a logistical nightmare to run.

Whether musings for an alternative type of summer festival have yet to come to anything concrete, never mind, the winter event at the Roundhouse is a gem.

The venue is as close to perfect as you will get for a festival, the music avoidable for those who want to avoid it, a decent amount of seating for those who want it and all in a wonderfully atmospheric building.

In the spirit of co-operation and friendliness, a couple of the brewery bars this year will be run by folks bringing their wares down the A52 from Nottingham. Do not let that put you off.

They are Totally Brewed and Navigation, both companies with an excellent reputation. I know less about Navigation but I have never had anything other than an exceptional pint from Totally Brewed and I hope I can still say that after the festival.

The other two brewery bars are by perennial favourites, Peak Ales, from the Chatsworth Estate, and Blue Monkey, from Giltbrook.

I would still like to see 200 stunning beers and more of each rather than 400 beers, of which many of the most popular ones will have run out by the time some of us get to look for them – but there do not seem to be many who share my view and if Derby Camra told me “it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” I guess they would have a point.

Ciders, craft keg beers, mead, gin, rum and plenty of good food will be alongside and around the casks of ale.

Details of opening times and admission prices, food, music and all else can be found here: www. derby.camra.org.uk/winter-beerfestival.