Ale festival chief hopes TV celebs will boost event

THE organiser of Worcester’s beer and cider festival is hoping the event will attract a bigger audience this year once it is spotlighted on a popular TV show.

The festival, which takes place in August, will be appearing on the small screen next month after television presenter James May and wine buff Oz Clarke visited last year’s event.

The two were at the festival to film the BBC2 series of Oz and James’ Drink to Britain show, which is currently being screened. It features the pair travelling around the country sampling the best of beer, gin, tea and wine throughout the country .

On their travels, the pair stopped off in Worcester having brewed their own beer, and festival organiser Bill Ottaway was on the panel of judges to decide which was the winner.

Mr Ottaway said: “We are just waiting to see how much of the film they use that was taken on the day and how much ended up on the cutting room floor. But it is going to be great for the festival and it will give us a lot more visibility throughout the country on what we do.

“What will also be great is that people get to know more about beer, cider and perry and our festival, so hopefully this year we will get a lot more visitors,” he said.

The show featuring the Worcester festival will be shown on Tuesday, February 10 on BBC2 at 8pm and viewers will also be able to see May and Clarke go to Wales and visit a farmer who makes crisps and a vodka from potato wine.

They then travel to a farm in Herefordshire where they get to try some home-made perry.

This year, the Worcester CAMRA Beer, Cider and Perry Festival will be celebrating its tenth anniversary. It will take place from Thursday, August 13 until Saturday, August 15.

Source: Worcester news

Tags: Bill Ottaway, Cider and Perry Festival, Drink to Britain show, organiser of Worcester’s beer and cider festival, television presenter James May, the Worcester CAMRA Beer, wine buff Oz Clarke

Category: Festival News