Weymouth's October beer fest at Brewers Quay - but could it be for the last time?

Weymouth’s Brewers Quay and the West Dorset branch of the Campaign for Real Ale [CAMRA] are again coming together to organise the highly successful Octoberfest - the Weymouth autumn beer festival - on the first weekend in October.

One or two beers will be present from every brewery in Dorset- from Weymouth, Gillingham, Bridport, Blandford, Piddlehinton, Lyme Regis, North Chideock and Studland. Over 50 real ales and ciders will be on tap.

But this could be the last Octoberfest at Brewers Quay, as there are plans to redevelop the visitor attraction. The popular location in Hope Square plays host to the Weymouth Beer Festival for the eighth year running. CAMRA members will be coming from all over the UK and the West Country to visit the two day event, on Friday and Saturday 1 & 2 October.

Divided into two sessions on both Friday and Saturday, from 11am to 3pm and from 6pm to 11pm, admission costs only £2 for either lunchtime session and £3 in the evenings, which both feature live music. Last year all four sessions were sold out, so it will be essential to buy tickets in advance- from West Dorset CAMRA online at www.camrawdorset.org.uk, from The Boot pub at Weymouth or the Blue Raddle at Dorchester.

In addition, Octoberfest tickets can be purchased directly from Brewers Quay, at the Timewalk office. The Brewers Quay restaurant and teashop, adjoining the beer festival, will be open at all times, with a special Octoberfest menu, guaranteed to tempt the taste buds and to complement the good ales.

Over 50 real ales and ciders will be tapped direct from casks, around 20 from Dorset and the West Country, plus 30 from Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire. All nine breweries in Dorset will be providing their real ales- new breweries Town Mill at Lyme Regis and the Royal Standard in Upwey will be represented. Town Mill are sending Lyme Gold ale and Black Ven porter, while the Royal Standard will show-off their DT3 and DT4 ales for the first time.

From Gillingham comes Gillingham Pale and Elder Sarum - a pale bitter with a floral aroma of elderflowers- brewed by CAMRA member Paul Smith at his Small Paul microbrewery - situated in his North Dorset garage. Art Brew at North Chideock have made a big impression in their first year and will produce the distinctive Green Hopped Bitter and the noted Art MMX barley wine for the festival.

In stark contrast to these relative newcomers are the Hall & Woodhouse brewery at Blandford St. Mary, founded in 1777 and Palmer’s thatched brewery at Bridport, which dates from 1794. Palmers Best Bitter will be on the Octoberfest bar, together with the famously strong Tally Ho! which makes a welcome reappearance for winter. Spicy Badger Tanglefoot is one of the best selling of Dorset real ales made by regional leader Hall & Woodhouse, whose brand-new brewhouse will open next year.

Dorset Piddle brewery at Piddlehinton have made a big impression on Dorset’s real ale community since they started in 2007 and two of their best beers- sweetish Silent Slasher and Piddle Ale- will be travelling to the festival. It will be a poignant Octoberfest for Giles Smeath and the Dorset Brewing Company, whose brewery at Brewers Quay, Weymouth, moves out to Crossways later this year. DBC Chesil and Weymouth Best will be at the last beer festival on their home ground. From the Bankes Arms at Studland, the Isle of Purbeck brewery send two brews which deserve to be better known- Purbeck Best Bitter and lager-style Solar Power.

In addition, there will be a number of East Midlands ales, the result of a West Dorset branch trip last year, when members found so many interesting real ales! Last Rites comes from Abbeydale brewery in Sheffield, at 11 per cent ABV, over three times the strength of ordinary best bitter.