Volunteering at the Bristol Beer Festival

CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE THE STAFFING FORM

Each year around 200 people volunteer to make the Bristol Beer Festival happen. The twenty third CAMRA Bristol Beer Festival will run from Thursday 5th to Saturday 7th November 2020 at Brunel’s Old Station, Temple Meads, Bristol. Many volunteers come back year after year as volunteering at the festival is great fun. You get to work with people who share your enthusiasm for ale (and/or cider and perry) and support CAMRA's aims. There are also plenty of opportunities to introduce drinkers to your favourite ale. On top of all that you can sample some of your favourite and new tipples (sensibly, of course!). Don't worry if you need to catch the last bus or train, just let us know on the form and we'll make sure you get away on time.

This year we will set up Monday to Wednesday (Monday will be the busiest day and Wednesday should be quiet). This involves taking delivery of beer, setting up the stillage, getting the barrels onto the stillage, hanging up signs, putting programmes into glasses, setting up chairs and tables, and setting up the stalls for games and products. The vendors also set up their stalls during this time.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday is all about the festival itself. Working behind the beer and cider bars will keep you busy and challenged as punters ask for advice. But it's not just serving drinks. We need people to give out glasses, sell tokens, run the games, and act as stewards. Stewards make sure that everyone is happy from punters to other volunteers on the stalls. They keep the place tidy and chat with folk so that everyone is safe.

The "pre sessions" and "in between sessions" on Friday and Saturday is time to refresh the venue: tidying up, re-covering and rearranging tables, cleaning up any spillages, replenishing the glasses, and checking the stock looks good on the stalls.  

Sunday is when it all comes down. Barrels need to be emptied, stillage dismantled, unused products packaged for return to HQ, signs are taken down and stored for next year or returned. We know it's hard to get going on the Sunday so we help things along with a bacon (or egg) butty.

CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE THE STAFFING FORM