More than 3,000 real ale and music lovers from across the South West gathered at St Austell Brewery on Saturday (December 1) to sample some of the 120-plus beers on offer and party throughout the day and evening to the sounds of five live bands.

The event also raised a total of £11,500 - the biggest sum ever raised by the festival - which will go to local charities in Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset through the St Austell Brewery Charitable Trust.

Doors opened at 11am and soon the unique surroundings of the old wine cellars and vaults beneath the Victorian brewery were filled with eager party-goers trying out the finest selection of beers from St Austell Brewery and selected national and European beers. A first for this year was the smoke-free atmosphere in the low ceiled cellars, which brought approving comments from both smokers and non-smokers.

With a limit of 750 in the venue at any one time, queues began forming outside the Brewery from as early as 10am and from 12.30pm the door staff began operating a ‘one out - one in' policy.

St Austell Brewery head brewer Roger Ryman said: "It was the most fantastic day and the general feeling is that this year's has been the best ever Celtic Beer Festival. It was great to see so many people, men and women across the age range, enjoying the huge range of real ales and dancing the day and night away to some brilliant live music.

"I'd like to thank all those people from the Brewery, our pubs and suppliers who gave up their time to help make the event such a huge success and to raise a record-breaking amount of money for charity."

Roger and the brewing team created a range special beers just for the festival, in addition to St Austell Brewery's range of award winning ales, with major and independent breweries across the British Isles also donating beers to the event. Popular St Austell specials included ‘Honey Monster', made with real honey, ‘Raisons to be Cheerful', described as like drinking a Christmas pudding, and delightfully named brews such as Amber Nectar, Liquid Sunshine and Smokey Joes Smoked Brown Ale (brewed with malt smoked over beech wood).

Food at the event was provided by a team of St Austell Brewery's pub managers led by St Catering Development Manager, Paul Drye - all using fresh Cornish produce - with a roaring trade done in chillies, pork baguettes and of course Steak and Tribute Cornish pasties, with all the food profits adding to the charity total.

Visitor Dan Carter, from Plymouth, said: "I have to commend St Austell Brewery for holding a fantastic beer festival. Having been to several others in the region this year I have to say this was by far the best. With the lively atmosphere, great entertainment, good quality beer, unique location and fascinating brewery tour, it was definitely a day to remember and well worth the trip from Plymouth. I'm already looking forward to 2008."

Camra Kernow chairman Rod Davis said: "The Celtic Beer Festival is a good one and has grown to become a standing item in the beer drinker's diary. There was a great selection of beers, a good cross section of people and I was left very impressed with the event."