Wigan Beer Festival 2010 - can you help ?

The 23rd Wigan Beer Festival is rapidly approaching. It starts on Thursday, 4th March at 5.30pm and finishes on Saturday, 6th March at 11pm. As usual, it is being held at the Robin Park Indoor Sports Arena, directly opposite the DW Stadium (home to both Wigan Athletic and Wigan Warriors). Click here for map of venue.

As always, we are grateful to all volunteers that help us to organise and run our beer festival. If you are interested in volunteering to work at the festival, please complete the attached Staffing Form and return it by 13th February. For more details about staffing, please contact Carol Worthington via This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

If you would like to help by sponsoring the festival, our Advertising Manager (Ian Prior) has pulled together some fantastic sponsorship deals starting from just £30. In return, as well as publicity, you will get invited to an exclusive pre-opening sponsors event which includes free beer. See attached sponsorship forms - Sponsorship Form (Standard) or Sponsorship Form (Major). For more details about sponsorship, please contact Ian Prior via This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

CAMRA Price Survey 2010

It's that time again - the annual survey of prices in our pubs. This year's survey form (see attached form) has been simplified from previous years. We are however particularly keen to find out if there are significant price differentials between those pubs that are tied for their beer purchases and those that are free to buy their beer supplies from whomsoever they wish (see summaries). It would be beneficial if all our branch members could conduct at least one survey prior to our next Branch Meeting. However, all surveys must be conducted before 28th February 2010 and final submissions are required before 8th March 2010.

Managed Pub : A managed pub is one where the person running it is an employee of the operating company (brewery or pub co) and is not allowed to buy beers apart from those on the company approved list.

Tied Pub : A Tied pub is one where the tenant or lessee is only allowed to buy beers through the brewery or pub co approved suppliers.

Free of Tie Pub : A Free of tie pub is one where the person running it is not limited in any way as to the beers he or she can buy. This may be a "genuine" freehouse or a pub co leased pub which is leased free of tie. The pub can be a freehouse but have a manager installed to run it. In which case the pub should be designated as a freehouse.

Company operating the pub : This will generally be the name of the owner i.e. Fullers, Punch etc; but in some circumstances the owner of the bricks and mortar may be a bank (Royal Bank of Scotland) or other financial investor and then the running of the pub has been delegated to an operating company - this is the name that should be stated in this case.

What's New

• 07/02/2009 : Local Pub News updated
• 07/02/2009 : Local Brewery News updated  
• 06/02/2010 : 'Booze News 53' added 
• 09/11/2009 : 'Booze News 52' added
• 05/10/2009 : 'Booze News 51' added
• 24/09/2009 : By request, pink style sheet added
• 24/09/2009 : 'Next Events' module added (see right)
• 24/09/2009 : Use of Google Calendar for Branch Diary
• 24/09/2009 : Use of Google Calendar for Festival Diary
• 06/09/2009 : Local Pub News updated
• 06/09/2009 : Local Brewery News updated  
• 06/09/2009 : 'Booze News 50' added
• 06/09/2009 : 'Booze News 49' added
• 06/09/2009 : 'Booze News 48' added

[more changes .....]

CAMRA NEWS - latest updates from www.camra.org.uk

BREWERY NEWS - latest updates from www.quaffale.org.uk

REAL ALE NEWS - latest updates from www.realalenet.co.uk