Willkommen in Cardiff Bay

Sunday saw the conclusion of a 4 day German beer festival, held in Roald Dahl Plass, Cardiff Bay.



Photos - Paul Evans



The event was free to enter on Thursday and Sunday, whilst Friday and Saturday were ticketed affairs at a cost of £12 - £16.  I attended on Sunday afternoon.  Upon entry to the large 'Oktoberfest' style beer tent, which was guarded by a giant inflatable glass of beer, I was initially taken aback at the price of the beer - £8 for a stein! Until I realised that a stein was two pints worth of beer, so a not unexpected £4 for a pint. There were only 2 beers to choose from, but both were good quality, namely: Fischer's pilsner, and Erdinger wheat beer.

Photos - Paul Evans

The bar was token operated, and table service was the order of the day with waitresses and waiters attentively and efficiently serving the revellers, whilst dressed in traditional Bavarian drindl and lederhosen.

Photo - Paul Evans

I opted for a stein of Fischers's, which is a very good pilsner, and took my place on one of the many long tables and benches that adorned the space within the cavernous tent. The festival was run by the Bavarian Beerhouse company, which has many bars around the UK offering an authentic German beerfest experience.

There was also food available within the tent, made up of traditional German fayre, including: currywurst, leberkase, bratwurst and pretzels. Ranging in price from £1 for a pretzel to £4 for the wurst.

Photo - Paul Evans

The tent was capacious, which meant it was not overcrowded on the Sunday, but it did retain a good atmosphere, particularly when the band started playing old classics and new tunes on the stage at the head of the tent. Families were also welcomed in, and this added to the jovial atmosphere as the kids danced and sang along happily to the music.

Photo - Paul Evans

It was maybe not somewhere to spend a whole day boozing away given the cost and lack of beer variety, but I thoroughly enjoyed my couple of hours there, and thought it a great addition to the many festivals held in the bay. I hope it becomes a regular feature. Wunderbar!



The author enjoying a stein
Photo - Paul Evans