QUALITY beers and ciders of various colours and consistencies were on hand at a Basingstoke beer festival.

For the third year running, The Moose Centre, in Churchill Way, Basingstoke, teamed up with CAMRA – the Campaign for Real Ale – to run a beer festival, including a regional heat of the Champion Beer of Britain competition for Strong Milds and Old Ales.

Two ciders and 16 beers from across the country, including Sussex, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Lancashire and two from Hampshire, were among those sampled by a healthy stream of beer drinkers over the festival’s three sessions which took place on Friday evening, Saturday lunchtime and Saturday evening.

Phil Myatt, chairman of the north Hampshire CAMRA branch, said: “After the Octoberfest at Milestones museum, which just had Hampshire beers, we wanted to bring in beers from outside, and a lot of beers are seasonal so there are beers here that can only be tried at this festival.” He added: “This is a nice, comfortable venue with a friendly atmosphere and it’s good to have it in sessions after something as big as the Octoberfest.”

The Moose Centre is run by the Basingstoke branch of Moose International, a fundraising organisation.

Pam Mansfield, president of the Moose Ladies’ Circle, said: “The idea behind the festival for us is to advertise Moose, so that people who don’t necessarily know about us come to the building and hopefully read some of our literature.

“We are currently fundraising for Basingstoke Alzheimer’s Society and 45 per cent of the takings will be going towards the cause.”