HASLEMERE Beer Festival has returned to Haslemere Hall for its 10th anniversary.

The event featured bands who entertained the drinkers, who were also able to sample the region’s finest food with many of the beers coming from Surrey, Hampshire and Sussex.

Selected by experienced cellar man Jay Seldon, many visitors said this year’s beers were the best selection yet, including many from breweries featured for the first time.

He highly commended the Amber Ale, from Hedgedog Brewing of Virginia Water.

For an ale of only 3.9 per cent strength it was packed with flavour.

Marc and Andrew Sage only started brewing in 2014 but Jason said they are definitely one to watch.

Captain B – from Portsmouth’s Irving & Co Brewery – was voted ale of the festival for the third time.

A special only brewed for selected festivals, the spiced rum ale has a strong sweet and spicy taste of the Caribbean with flavours of cinnamon and vanilla dominated with dark sugar notes.

Brewer Malcolm Irving first considered brewing as a career when it came out as a top recommendation for him in a careers survey at secondary school.

He then did an honours degree in brewing and distilling at Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh.

After graduation Malcolm joined a microbrewery based in Middlesborough before moving down to Hampshire to Gales Brewery in Horndean.

Malcolm was at Gales for 11-and-a-half years before the brewery was bought and closed by Fullers.

Irving & Co is the culmination of a dream Malcolm had even before entering the brewing industry.

Guy Davenport and Chris Oldham produced popular tasty food with Sussex sausages and burgers from Seabrights while the bread was sponsored by The Granary, both businesse based in Haslemere’s West Street.

The beer festival is run by volunteers and supports nominated charities, which this year included Haslemere-baesd charity Action for A-T, who arranged a raffle including a range of beer-related prizes donated by many of the breweries along with The Station House, a new pub, hotel and restaurant opening later in the year opposite Haslemere station.

Charities that have been supported in previous years include Haslemere Hall, SERV, Round Table Children’s Wish, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, JDRF and DEC.

Mike Upjohn brought a musical line up of old favourites such as Water-Shed, The Free Radicals and local headteacher Charles Beckerson along with new artists to the festival such as Eden Backlist and the Dan Grinter band who closed the festival.

Simon Labrow, the chairman and founder of the festival said: “I’m delighted that we celebrated our 10th anniversary year in such style.

“It feels like an amazing achievement considering how it has grown from an initial mad idea of mine created with friend and former manager of Haslemere Hall Richard Oldham to bring a new audience to see what a diverse and valuable resource the venue is for the people of Haslemere.

“It was Howard Bicknell the new hall manager’s first year and he did a great job supported by his fantastic team.

“We are already planning next year with some new plans in the pipeline.”

Principal sponsor once again was Liss-based Met Therm Windows. Other sponsors included Architectural Services, T J Tree Care, J E Homewood Fencing and Gates, Headcase Barbers, Dylan’s Ice Cream, Barrow Hills School and Aga Shop Haslemere.