More than 3,000 revellers filled St Austell Brewery’s Victorian cellars on Saturday November 26^th for the annual Celtic Beer festival.

Highly regarded as one of the country’s biggest ale festivals, the event raised more than £16,000 for St Austell Brewery’s Charitable Trust, the highest amount in the festival’s 13 years.

The Celtic Beer Festival transformed the old wine cellars and vaults beneath the brewery and this year revellers enjoyed more than 150 real ales, live music throughout the day and traditional Cornish pub food, including home-made pork scratching and Tribute Ale pasties.

New special festival brews that were a hit this year included St Awesome – 5% malty strong bitter; Wa'lli'be – 4.7% golden IPA brewed with New Zealand and Australian hops, and Strawberry Blonde - 4.8% Cornish lager matured with strawberries. The new brews were featured alongside the familiar favourites such as Tribute (4.2%) and the weird and wonderful like Grand Imperial Chocolate Stout (9.5%).

During the day there was no chance of the bar running dry thanks to a 50ft beer line which piped the recently launched Cornish Korev Lager direct from the fermentation vessel, holding 25,000 pints, straight to the taps serving festive goers.

Jeremy Mitchell, St Austell Brewery’s Director of Communications and Marketing, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled that the festival raised more money than ever before. The event was at capacity by 2pm and inside the Brewery there was a real party atmosphere with everyone coming together to enjoy an array of fine cask and craft ales and live music whilst raising money for local good causes.”

Since it was launched in 2003, St Austell Brewery’s Charitable Trust has raised £300,000 for local charities and good causes in Cornwall, Devon and Somerset. This year’s nominated charities include Little Harbour and Cornwall Hospices.