By Mabel Welman.
On the 6th of April, The Craft and Crust Music Festival came to in Winchester Guildhall.
There was the option to book from 12:00 to 17:00 or 18:00 to 23:00, as I work on Sundays I choose the earlier session.
The Craft and Crust Beer Festival held 8 breweries and distilleries, offering ciders, ales, lagers, cocktails, stout and more. There was also a pie stall and a pizza stall. This was laid out primarily in the main hall, and a smaller more quiet room further down inside the Guildhall.
For food I had a margarita pizza, seasoned with peppercorn, basil oil and basil leaf. The pizza was delicious and a fair price for how filling it was.
I made sure to sample a few different drinks. Normally, a dark and rich stout is my drink of choice (one of which I did enjoy called a Blackheart), however this time I was pleasantly surprised by and most enjoyed a medium cloudy cider called a Worcester. There were some more creative flavours and craft beverages like a rhubarb and custard cider, but sadly I did arrive a couple of hours late and did not get to sample this or some others I would have liked to.
The entertainment comprised of some phenomenal live music. One band I really enjoyed was 19 Forever, who performed covers of some well known indie music. Their energy galvanised the whole crowd – the bottom floor of the hall was filled with dancing, singing and public displays of affection any live event would love to inspire.
There was also a pie eating contest on stage. The contestants got a lot of cheers (and one from Portsmouth got a lot of boos) and the winner was given a prize (what I think was a free pint). This was a fun moment that was a bit more chilled out and calmer between two local performers.
Overall the event was a huge success. As a younger trans women who went alone, I was extremely anxious on my way to the festival. However, the security and vendors were all very friendly. The venue was very busy but there were still quiet places and ample seating to take a breather. Fellow attendees were also very polite and respectful people who were drinking responsibly and enjoying the variety of food, drink and entertainment available.
I cannot recommend the event enough for next time, or for anyone willing to travel to The Craft and Crust Music Festivals taking place in Newcastle and Grimsby later on this spring.
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