New ‘mystery ale trail’ for food festival

The organisers of next week’s Stone Food & Drink Festival – which takes place at Westbridge Park on Fri 4th, Sat 5th & Sun 6th October – have thrown down the gauntlet to real ale fans with a challenge to identify mystery guest ales on sale in eight town centre pubs.

A new addition to festivities, the ‘Mystery Ale Trail’ will run from Monday 30th September to Sunday 6th October.

Eight pubs – The Pheasant, Langtry’s, The Talbot, The Royal Exchange, The Swan, The Star, The Three Crowns and The Red Lion – will each have a different ‘mystery’ real ale, brewed by a Staffordshire brewery, on tap. Simply pick up a free entry card in any of the participating pubs, buy the guest ale on offer and see whether you can identify which it is from the tasting notes on the card – then repeat in each of the other participating venues.

Real ale fans can take on the challenge for fun and compare their notes with fellow drinkers or can send their completed card off for judging – those who have correctly identified all eight ‘mystery’ ales will be rewarded with a Titanic loyalty card pre-loaded with a free pint.

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And the Mystery Ale Trail is not all that’s on offer for real ale fans during festival week. The ever-popular minibus Real Ale Trails will run on Tuesday 1st, Wednesday 2nd and Thursday 3rd October; taking in no less than eight pubs in Stone’s surrounding villages. Tickets, priced at £15.00 each are selling fast and are available at www.stonefooddrink.org.uk

Over the ‘big weekend’ itself, Westbridge Park will play host to the Titanic Beer Festival, with the entire ‘Titanic Fleet’ on offer alongside some special locally-brewed guest ales, with bands playing live music from 4pm each day adding to the party atmosphere. Elsewhere on the park, brewers both local and from further afield will be selling their wares, whilst Staffordshire-based Lymestone Brewery, Slater’s Ales and Titanic Brewery will all be giving talks and tasting opportunities covering a range of beer-related topics in the ‘Talks & Tastings Tent’.

Entry to Westbridge Park is £6 per person / per day or £15 for a three-day pass (accompanied under 16s free). For the full programme for this year’s ‘festival week’ and to buy advance tickets to beat the queues on the ‘big weekend’ visit www.stonefooddrink.org.uk. Alternatively, pop into the Festival Office, located in The Market House Mill St, Stone (underneath Tinsley Garner Estate Agents), open daily from 10am – 1pm.