A beer and cider festival has announced record profits of £15,000, which will go towards local good causes.

Dorchester Beerex, organised by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) and Casterbridge Rotary Club, said the amount of money raised was all due to the overwhelming support of local businesses, breweries and thirsty drinkers.

The festival attendance was not affected by the over-night snow on the Thursday evening and undeterred customers were packed into the Corn Exchange over the four sessions to sample a selection of 80 beers and 21 ciders with many drunk dry by the end of Saturday night.

In total around 1,400 people attended the festival for this year's iteration, the 31st. Local band Shooter played an excellent two sets on the Saturday night and there was a real party atmosphere.

This year’s main charity was the Fortuneswell Cancer Trust and the money raised will go towards specialist training for nurses in one-to-one care.

Around £2,000 was made on the raffle over the weekend with the benefactor being the Dorchester youth and community centre in Fordington.

Palmer’s brewery of Bridport sponsored the festival for the fifth consecutive year and representatives of the brewery and Fortuneswell Cancer Trust were present throughout the weekend.

New local brewery Copper Street of Dorchester took beer of the festival with their Dark Ages Porter with Christchurch brewery Drop the Anchor was the runner up with their Tucktonia Pale ale.

CAMRA member and Beerex committee chairman Dave Harris said: “I am absolutely thrilled with the amount of money we have raised. It is a new record for the festival and will help some very worthwhile local causes.

"A big thank you has to go to all of our sponsors who are so generous and the people who came along to enjoy themselves as it is them collectively that made Beerex such a success.”

He went on to say how he and fellow committee members are looking forward to planning next year’s event again in Dorchester Corn Exchange.