Pub to host sausage meet (From Oxford Mail)

Pub to host sausage meet

3:08pm Wednesday 18th February 2009 in News By Amanda Williams

A sausage and beer festival using local produce will be held at an Oxfordshire pub this weekend.

The Cricketer’s Arms, in Littleworth, near Wheatley, is holding its first food and drink extravaganza at the suggestion of its regulars.

From tomorrow until Sunday, the pub will be serving 12 real ales, sourced from within a 36-mile radius of the pub, including the Old Bog Brewery in Headington.

The pub will also be selling 11 different types of sausage, including vegetarian traditional Cumberland, and beef.

Angie and Stuart Bull, originally from Lincolnshire, took over the pub in 2007. According to the couple it was rarely used by locals and there were plans to turn it into homes.

But since the two took on the pub, they have started to turn things around.

Mr Bull said: “We serve good beers, traditional pub food and have started up a very successful Aunt Sally team.

“We held a beer festival last February, and one of our customers said we should add sausages to it this year, which we thought was a great idea.

“As I’m originally from Lincolnshire, renowned for its sausages, it makes sense to order some from there. But most will come from our local butcher.

“Our ales are sourced locally anyway, but the festival gives us much more scope for variety.”

The pub is so dedicated to making sure its customers get only the freshest and best ale, it has devised its own ‘Six Sixes’ rule dictating that all the real ales served at the bar have not travelled any further than 36 miles from brewery to pub.

Among the varieties on offer will be favourites such as Hook Norton’s Hooky Bitter, which is brewed just over 27 miles away.

The pub will also serve White Horse Village Idiot, brewed in Stanford-in-the-Vale, 20 miles away, and the Appleford Power Station ale, brewed in Brightwell-cum-Sotwell (12 miles).

The festival will open tomorrow, from 12- 3pm, and then from 6pm, all day Saturday and on Sunday 12-3pm and from 7pm.

Music will be provided by local bluegrass band the Headington Hillbillies, pints will be sold at £2.20 each, and a selection of sausages and mash with onion gravy will cost £4.75.

awilliams@oxfordmail.co.uk