Virtual Great British Beer Festival 2020

**Mobyduck** · 09-08-2020, 19:04

Originally Posted by rpadam

In the weird and wonderful world of intoxicating beverages, there can be much more to 'value' than a simple comparison of units per pound, and we will have our own take on that.

There is some yardage from rps quote above, I've always considered the GBBF an expensive day out, taking in the travel, entrance fee and cost of beer, bearing in mind I rarely drink more than six pints a visit, usually in halves. However I go there to find and taste new beers , all under one roof, I would be spending a lot more traipsing all over the country, however enjoyable that may be, finding these beers. I personally can't afford to do that too often.

**london calling** · 09-08-2020, 20:59

Originally Posted by Mobyduck

There is some yardage from rps quote above, I've always considered the GBBF an expensive day out, taking in the travel, entrance fee and cost of beer, bearing in mind I rarely drink more than six pints a visit, usually in halves. However I go there to find and taste new beers , all under one roof, I would be spending a lot more traipsing all over the country, however enjoyable that may be, finding these beers. I personally can't afford to do that too often.

Personally think beers taste better in their natural habitat (pub) than at a beer fest.

**Tris39** · 12-08-2020, 17:12

Originally Posted by london calling

Personally think beers taste better in their natural habitat (pub) than at a beer fest.

Yes. I've only been to one festival, around the late '80s at Olympia. The entrance cost, cost of the 'souvenir' glass and beer price - my friend thought the entrance fee would mean cheap beer - was, for me a deterrent. We had a couple of halves and then decided to go to the pub, ironically.
I think that pubs and beer are inseparable. Given the choice, I'd rather forsake both rather than do one or the other.

**trainman** · 13-08-2020, 16:26

Much made about the cost of the glass, which is usually (always?) refundable on exit if you don't want to keep it, and I can't remember feeling too aggrieved at pricing at the few festivals I've been to.
That said, I concur that a tour of pubs in a good beer town is far preferable to a single location festival, even when the number of festival beers on offer is greater than you could sample in month of Sundays.
Thing is, good beer festivals tend to be in good beer towns (Reading, Nottingham, Derby - have they got winterfest now?) so the dilemma is always the same. A bad beer town tends not to have a central beer festival...
The Robin Hood fest was a good prequel for mini-Nottingham tour in the past, then full Beeston the following day. Perfect!

**sheffield hatter** · 14-08-2020, 20:50

Originally Posted by Tris39

I've only been to one festival, around the late '80s at Olympia. The entrance cost, cost of the 'souvenir' glass and beer price - my friend thought the entrance fee would mean cheap beer - was, for me a deterrent. We had a couple of halves and then decided to go to the pub.

This was a conversation best had before joining the queue. What you ended up with was a self-fulfilling prophecy: it looked like it was going to be pricey, but leaving after two halves made it so. (Bet the beer wasn't any cheaper in the pub, either!)

**Tris39** · 15-08-2020, 17:20

Originally Posted by sheffield hatter

This was a conversation best had before joining the queue. What you ended up with was a self-fulfilling prophecy: it looked like it was going to be pricey, but leaving after two halves made it so. (Bet the beer wasn't any cheaper in the pub, either!)

The beer was certainly more expensive than the pub but undoubtedly of better quality. Bach then though, I was probably more interested in getting drunk cheaply rather than educating my palate.