Huntingdonshire’s branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) hosted its 51st Booze on the Ouse beer and cider festival at the Priory Centre in St Neots.

The Hunts Post: All beer was blind tasted by the judgesAll beer was blind tasted by the judges (Image: Archant)

Hundreds of people turned up for the annual festival to enjoy a range of 66 real ales, including CAMRA award winners, local beers, and cider.

This year’s event took place over the weekend of March 14-17.

On the opening day of the festival, judges including the mayor of St Neots, Councillor Barry Chapman, and other beer experts tasted a selection of eight beers to determine CAMRA’s new champion specialist beer, which will be a contender for the Champion Beer of East Anglia.

The favourite from the festival was Colchester Brewery’s Brazilian coffee and vanilla porter, which proved a firm favourite with the judges.

The Hunts Post: Panel chairman David Dixon and bar manager Chris Bee. Picture: ARCHANTPanel chairman David Dixon and bar manager Chris Bee. Picture: ARCHANT (Image: Archant)

Chris Bee, bar manager and event organiser, said: “The festival went so well. It is so important to us that we continue to promote the Campaign for Real Ale in pubs and bars around the region. The turn out was great and we had so much support from the event. I think that the campaign has been successful and that we can continue to draw people of all ages to the event.”

The festival showcased draught milds, bitters, golden ales, stouts, porters, lagers, wheat beers and speciality beers, real draught ciders and perries, together with wine, soft drinks and food.

The Huntingdonshire CAMRA Pub of the Year awards were presented on Thursday at the event, and winners included; Overall Pub of the Year: Ale Taster, St Neots; Urban Pub of the Year; Ale Taster, St Neots; Rural Pub of the Year: Chequers, Little Gransden; Community Pub of the Year: Haywain, St Ives; Cider Pub of the Year: Ale taster, St Neots.

As the overall winner of Pub of the Year, the Ale Taster will now go forward to represent Huntingdonshire in the Cambridgeshire competition.

The Hunts Post: L-R Top row - Rick Brett, Pete Bulter, Will Smith, David Dixon Shey Crompton Bottom - Cllr Barry Chapman, Alex Valentine, David Taylor and Ray LondonL-R Top row - Rick Brett, Pete Bulter, Will Smith, David Dixon Shey Crompton Bottom - Cllr Barry Chapman, Alex Valentine, David Taylor and Ray London (Image: Archant)