Beer festivals: Bookworm beers

The 'town of books' - Hay-on-Wye, Powys - is on the east bank of the River Wye within Brecon Beacons National Park. With The Guardian's literary festival in May, it's a popular destination, brimming with book-lovers, canoeists, ramblers, cyclists, and holiday-makers throughout the summer months.

"But after the August Bank Holiday, trade just dies," says Ed Davies, who runs the bar at Kilverts Inn​. Having hosted a small green-hopped beer festival last year, Ed thought that one way of attracting people to Hay in the off-season was by hosting an ale and literature festival.

Capitalising on the wealth of Welsh brewers in the region, and Hay's literary reputation, it could be the ideal vehicle to bring in the right kind of visitor.

At just 24, Ed is one of a new breed of publicans. You won't hear him moaning about the smoking ban, he just gets on with running his pub, and is hugely passionate about it.

He set about getting guests lined up using Twitter and contacts he'd met at other festivals. He targeted beer writers, bloggers, poets and bands to make sure he had some big-name attractions.

The results of his persuasion were impressive, managing to attract beer-writing royalty such as Pete Brown, Adrian Tierney-Jones, Tim Hampson and Zak Avery, as well as international beer judge Melissa Cole, local poets, authors, musicians and illustrators. Events included tutored tastings and book readings by the likes of budding author David Lunt, along with plenty of beer chat. There was even a local battle re-enactment society who turned up to shoot muskets in the garden.

Not a bad haul for an inaugural festival.

For marketing, Ed put a small advert in What's Brewing, and paid for two large (8ft x 4ft) signs on the busiest junctions around Hay.

"I didn't spend a lot, but with big things like the marquees bought this year, the advertising budget should be bigger next year," says Ed.

Twitter and blogging were hugely important in setting up and marketing the festival. Guests were booked, rooms were reserved and ale recommendations were made, all via Twitter (@edstudentbrewer​) and Ed's personal blog​.

By getting the online community involved, Ed had a huge source of information to tap into. "One thing that never fails to amaze me is the friendliness and helpfulness of the pub and brewing industries," he says. "When designing the stillages, I realised I didn't know how much a cask ale weighs. Within five minutes of asking Twitter I had my answer (around 50kg)."

Online, Ed found marquees delivered for around £800. The cooling equipment was sponsored by Wye Valley Brewery​ - even though none of its beers were featured at the festival. Ed worked around this by putting Wye Valley ales on the pub's bar for the weekend.

Everything else, Ed made himself - bars, stillages and the lighting rig. "They say the journey is half the fun - I certainly enjoyed putting everything together, it taught me a lot," he says.

As for the punters, it was simple. Ed had been annoyed at festivals in the past where "you spend up to £20 on tickets, vouchers and glasses - without drinking a drop", so he charged £5 for a festival glass (£2 refund if returned), and that was the admission fee. Once people were in, it was £1 for a third, £1.50 for a half, and £3 for a pint of any of the ales on sale.

Over the course of the weekend, the festival sold 10 firkins of ale, but what really boomed was the bar inside the pub, which sold seven firkins over the three days - three-and-a-half of these on the Saturday night alone.

After the festival, by carefully carrying six firkins through from the garden into the cellar, Kilverts was able to sell the remaining beer over the following week. And the pub's kitchen also used some leftover Blackberry stout (from the Waen Brewery​) to make steak-and-ale pies.

As for financial success, Ed remains very business-minded. "I was told to treat the festival as a business, so I've got a three and five-year plan," he says. "In any business you wouldn't expect to make any money the first year with the initial outlay. The total returned was approximately 50 per cent of the cost, and we expect to break even in year two, and turn a small profit in year three."

When the work on the garden is finished next year, there will be one access point, with a small entrance fee and a deposit for glasses. All events will be individually ticketed, with the possibility of purchasing an all-inclusive ticket.

Melissa Cole's ale and food matching event on the Saturday night was a sell-out, and really gave the kitchen at Kilverts the chance to show off.

Next year it will run on both the Friday and Saturday nights.

With guests keen to come back, Ed's already had half-a-dozen more authors asking to take part next year.

Furthermore, a couple of established festival organisers have offered to help, and two local businesses have expressed an interest in supporting the festival financially.

One thing's for sure, the festival will be bigger and better next year. "It's all about the long term - the festival should become something that people put in their diary alongside the Hay Festival, so that the town can benefit twice a year as opposed to just once," says Ed.

Ed's top beer festival tips

• Let everyone know​. Tell your local breweries, CAMRA, the people you trade with. You'd be surprised at just how many people know someone who can help.
• Ask anyone you want to attend​ - fire off an email explaining what you're trying to do. I was amazed how many people agreed. A tied licensee asked me how I thought they could organise one. After speaking to their BDM, they're looking at the possibility of doing a charity festival in a village hall. Without asking. you'll never know.
• Do your research​. Is there another festival on? Are you going to be busy that weekend anyway? Is there a reason for people not to attend your festival?
• Be realistic​. How much ale can you sell? How much can you afford not to? Are you looking to build up an annual event, or is it a one-off? Would pins be more suitable than firkins? Would bright beer that you can then move to your cellar be helpful (or Fast Cask)?
• It's never too early to advertise​. Ever!

Ed would like to thank the following people for making it all possible:

Breconshire Brewery​ and Otley Brewery​ for their delivery work and patience; Purple Moose; Brains; Tudor Brewery​; Wye Valley Brewery; all the staff who volunteered to work the bars; Mum and Dad; and my girlfriend and son, who managed to take my mind off things during that sleepless week before!