Cheers! Toasting a successful beer festival

The Red Lion Beer Festival was a success.

The event, at Alnmouth’s Red Lion, was staged last weekend in aid of HospiceCare North Northumberland.

And organisers are toasting their success, after the showcase of ale collected around £5,000 for the cause.

The festival, the eighth of its kind, gave drink fans the chance to sample 25 local beers, as well as taste some fizz from the Champagne bar.

Fittingly, the first beer to sell out came from Amble-based micro-brewery Credence, which was set up a year ago by former Red Lion bar manager, Michael Graham.

Musical entertainment was provided by FOSSIL and Eddie Miller during the course of the event.

Red Lion owners, Jane and Mac McHugh, were delighted with the festival. It was the second time that the hospice – with centres in Alnwick and Berwick – was the sole beneficiary. Jane said: “It was fantastic and it was heart-warming to see so many locals supporting us, as well as returning visitors. I would like to thank the Red Lion staff, who went that extra mile to ensure the success of the weekend.

“Mac and I wanted to support HospiceCare again this year because we both feel it’s a vital community service, that is not just about supporting people with cancer, but any life-limiting illness, like heart disease and Parkinson’s.”

Jobling Purser sponsored the marquee and glasses for the beer festival. Thanks have also been given to the businesses who sponsored the barrels of beer and Anna Brand who sponsored the publicity material, as well as Keith Newman from Highlights PR and hospice volunteers who helped during the event.