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Oh I do like to be be-cider seaside... A new two-day festival at the Lido focused on craft beer, real ale and cider has been announced, plugging the gap left by this year’s cancelled Havre des Pas Festival.
Supported by CAMRA (The Campaign for Real Ale) and featuring over 50 beers and ciders and over 20 gins, the Beer Island Festival will be taking place on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 July.
The BeServed Group, which is organising the event, said it aims to become an annual fixture in the island’s calendar, with a view to “showcasing local drink, food and entertainment”, as well as international brewers and distillers, at an “iconic and spectacular coastal landmark.”
View this post on InstagramWelcome to @beerislandfestival with an #amazing evening photo by @bam_perspectives
“The festival aims to attract independent breweries from around the globe, to visit Jersey and bridge the gap between cask and keg, delivering the best quality beers and ciders for everyone to enjoy,” they explained.
Among brands from the UK, Europe and USA, local brewers Bliss, Stinky Bay and Liberation will all be featured, while La Robeline will offer locally-made cider.
Local gins Sippin’ and Pink Granite will also be stocked, as well as Jersey’s new Tidal Rum, alongside a selection of soft drinks.
Food is promised in the form of Genuine Jersey burgers, brisket BBQ, a Royal ‘spud bar’, Jersey oysters, and, of course, ice cream, with a backdrop of music by DJs Ben Newman, John O’Connell and DJ Nelson.
News of the new event comes after it was announced that the annual Havre des Pas festival had been cancelled following organisational difficulties.
In April, organisers said that they had struggled to gain enough support from the Parish of St. Helier for the seaside event to go ahead as planned.
Constable Simon Crowcroft denied this, however, stating that they had made demands he couldn’t accept – including asking the parish to foot the bill – but nonetheless vowed the event would go ahead.
However, this week the Constable confirmed to Express that the festival wouldn’t be returning.
The Havre des Pas Seaside Festival’s Facebook page also ran an advert on Facebook telling islanders, “Don’t bother going down to Havre des Pas” on the planned date, because “nothing is happening.”
The sponsored social media postings have since been removed.
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