St Austell Brewery Beer Festival Raises £18,000 for South West Charities

Thousands of beer lovers helped raise £18,000 for good causes across the South West after attending St Austell Brewery’s Celtic Beer Festival.

The event took place in November last year and all funds raised will go directly to the St Austell Brewery Charitable Trust.

£18,000 for causes across the South West

The Trust supports charities and individuals across the region and has donated more than £1 million since launching in 2003.

In 2025 alone, funding went towards a wide range of support, including youth mental health services, air ambulance operations, essential care equipment for families, and adaptive surf gear for charities.

The Trust accepts grant applications year round from Cornwall up to Somerset. More information, including how to apply, is available on the St Austell Brewery Charitable Trust website.

Inside the Celtic Beer Festival

The day-long festival transformed the brewery’s historic Victorian cellars into a live music venue with five bars serving more than 100 beers. These were supplied by over 50 UK breweries, all of which donated their beers for the event.

Live music ran throughout the day and a new Friday night pre-festival event was introduced for the first time. This preview featured a beer tasting hosted by Craft Beer Channel presenter Jonny Garrett.

What the brewery said

Georgina Young, Brewing Director at St Austell Brewery, said:
“The 24th Celtic Beer Festival was a true celebration of beer and community spirit, complete with a brilliant line-up of entertainment and music. It’s a chance for our brewers to show case their creativity and, most importantly, every pint poured helped us raise a huge amount of money, which will make a meaningful difference for charities, individuals and organisations here in the South West.”

Ongoing fundraising efforts

The Celtic Beer Festival remains the Charitable Trust’s flagship fundraising event. It sits alongside other activities such as pub quizzes, sponsored walks and an annual charity gala, which raised £47,000 last year.

Teams across the company’s 160 plus pub estate also take part in fundraising challenges throughout the year to boost support for the Trust’s work.