BEER & CIDER FESTIVALS
For Festivals in the London area see the London Drinker Magazine Beer Festivals Calendar. See the National CAMRA Festival & Events Calendar for a comprehensive list of other Beer Festivals.
UPCOMING & CURRENT CAMRA FESTIVALS
See the London Drinker Magazine Beer Festivals Calendar.
CAMRA FESTIVALS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
LONDON DRINKER BEER FESTIVAL 2010
The popular London Drinker 2010 Beer & Cider Festival was held from Wednesday 10 to Friday 12 March 2010, at the usual venue, the Camden Centre, Bidborough Street, London WC1 (opposite St. Pancras Station).
See the Beer Festival website for further details www.camranorthlondon.org.uk/ldbf/ or click to see the Beer List.
This is one of the few festivals where CAMRA volunteers do the catering.
UPCOMING & CURRENT PUB FESTIVALS
From Thursday 25 - Saturday 28 February the current CAMRA Greater London Pub of the Year, the Bricklayer’s Arms in Putney, had their biggest ever Yorkshire Beer Festival.
Over 140 beers were featured, from 69 breweries.
Beer Tickers Alert: The featured beers included 2 brand new beers from the Wharf Bank Brewery - a brewery so new it didn’t even start producing beer until February 2010. The new beers were Slinger’s Gold 3.9% ABV and Cam Fell 4.4% ABV.
Check the pub website for the full Beer List.
BATTERSEA BEER FESTIVAL 2010
Our 20th Battersea Beer Festival was held once again in the Grand Hall of the Battersea Arts Centre, Lavender Hill in February 2010. The festival ran from Wednesday 10 - Friday 12 February 2010. Over 150 British real ales were available as well as ciders, perries and foreign beers.
See the Battersea Beer Festival website for further details batterseabeerfestival.org.uk or click to download a pdf file of the Beer List (100KB).
PIG’S EAR BEER FESTIVAL 2009
The Pig’s Ear Beer & Cider Festival 2009 was held from Tuesday 1 - Saturday 5 December at it’s usual venue, Ocean, 270 Mare Street, Hackney E8 1HE which is opposite Hackney Town Hall. [map]
Over 100 Real Ales, including special festival brews, plus foreign beers and ciders weree available.
Details at www.pigsear.org.uk/index.htm#festivals.
15TH WATFORD BEER FESTIVAL 2009
The 15th Watford Beer Festival took place from Thursday 19 - Saturday 21 November 2009 in the function room of the West Herts Sports Club, Watford, WD18 7HP. [map].
There were about 70 beers, including brews by local favourites Tring and Red Squirrel, and some beers from a few interesting new breweries in the South West. Several ciders and perries were also available.
Details at www.watfordcamra.org.uk/festival.htm.
THANET CAMRA CIDER FESTIVAL
The 2nd Thanet CAMRA Cider Festival, was on Friday 16 and Saturday 17 October in the Paragon Room, the downstairs room at Churchill’s Tavern Ramsgate. [www.thanetcamraciderfestival.org.uk.]
WALLINGTON BEER FESTIVAL
The 16th Croydon & Sutton Beer & Cider Festival, held at Wallington Hall, ran from Thursday 8 October to Saturday 10 October. [Details]
ST ALBANS BEER FESTIVAL
The St Albans Beer Festival ran from Wednesday 30 September to Saturday 3 October. [Details]
ASCOT BEER FESTIVAL
The 3rd Ascot Racecourse Beer Festival, in association with the Campaign for Real Ale and Fuller’s, took place on Friday 25 and Saturday 26 September 2009. [Details]
GREAT BRITISH BEER FESTIVAL
The biggest festival of them all, the Great British Beer Festival 2009, ran from Tue 04 - Sat 08 August 2009, once again at Earls Court.
For full details and to book tickets on-line see CAMRA’s excellent gbbf.camra.org.uk/home website or the Great British Beer Festival 2009 Facebook Group.
KENT BEER FESTIVAL
The 2009 Kent Beer Festival ran from Thu 16 - Sat 18 July 2009. The festival was at the usual venue, Merton Farm, off Nackington Lane, Canterbury, Kent CT4 7BA. Over 100 real ales, plus ciders, lagers and world beers were available during the festival [beer list].
For full details see the Festival website [www.kentbeerfestival.com].
EALING BEER FESTIVAL
The 20th Ealing Beer Festival was on Wed 8 - Sat 11 July 2009 in Ealing's historic Walpole Park. Over 160 real ales, plus ciders & perries and foreign bottled and draught beers were available.
For full details see the Festival website [www.ealingbeerfestival.org.uk/] from West Middlesex CAMRA.
GREENWICH BEER & JAZZ FESTIVAL
At the same time as the Ealing festival, the 2009 Greenwich Beer & Jazz Festival ran from Wed 8 - Sun 12 July 2009. The festival was held outdoors in marquees in the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich. Although this was not a CAMRA only event, SE London CAMRA organised the beer festival in association with PWR events. Over 150 real ales, ciders, lagers and world beers were available during the festival [beer list].
For full details see the Festival website [www.pwrevents.com/gbandj/greenwichv2/index.htm] from the oranisers.
KINGSTON BEER FESTIVAL
The 10th Kingston Beer Festival was on Fri 26 - Sat 27 June 2009 at a NEW VENUE, Kingston Workmen’s Club and Institute, Old London Road, Kingston, KT2 6ND, some 4 minutes walk from Kingston rail and bus stations behind Wilkinsons, near the ‘falling down telephone boxes’ sculpture.
For full details see the Festival website [www.griffincomputerservices.co.uk/news_kl.html] from Kingston & Leatherhead CAMRA.
THURROCK BEER FESTIVAL
The 2009 Thurrock Beer Festival ran from Tue 2 - Sat 6 June 2009 at the Thurrock Civic Hall, Blackshots Lane, Grays, RM16 2JU.
For full details see the Festival website [www.essex-camra.org.uk/swessex/index_files/index.html] from SW Essex CAMRA.
BEXLEY BEER FESTIVAL
Bexley CAMRA’s 4th Bexley Beer Festival ran from Thursday 16 to Saturday 18 April 2009 at Sidcup Sports Club, Crescent Farm, Sydney Road, Sidcup DA14 6RA.
For full details see the Festival website [www.camrabexleybranch.org.uk/beerfest.html].
LONDON DRINKER BEER FESTIVAL
North London CAMRA’s 25th London Drinker Beer Festival ran from Wednesday 18 to Friday 20 March 2009, possibly for the last time at the usual venue, Camden Centre, Bidborough Street, London WC1H 9AU. [photos].
For full details see the Festival website [www.camranorthlondon.org.uk/ldbf/] which includes a report on how the London Drinker Beer Festival 25th Anniversary Ale was made at Brodies Brewery.
PUB BEER FESTIVALS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
- The Hoopers Winter Ales Festival 2009 ran from Friday 11 - Sunday 20 December 2009.
- The Druid’s Head, 3 Market Place, Kingston upon Thames, KT1 1JT, had a Beer Festival from Thursday 12 - Monday 16 November 2009. 20 different ales on offer and live music on Friday & Sunday night.
- The Speaker, 46 Great Peter Street, Victoria, SW1P 2HA, had another Beer Festival for one week from Mon 2 November 2009.
- The Falcon, 2 St. Johns Hill, London, SW11 1RU, had a Guy Fawkes Bonfire Beer Festival from Wed 4 - Sat 7 November with 40+ real ales to choose from.
- The Willoughby Arms Halloween Beer Festival, 47 Willoughby Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT2 6LN, ran from Wed 28 - Sat 31 October. 30 real ales were available including the very rare cask version of Fuller’s Gales Prize Old Ale.
- The Wandsworth Common Halloween Beer Festival at Le Gothique, Royal Victoria Patriotic Building, John Archer Way, SW18 3SX, ran from Thu 29 - Sat 31 October. Some 75 real ales were available over the three days. [Beer List].
- Hoopers Bar, 28 Ivanhoe Road, SE5 8DH had a Cider Festival from Fri 30 Oct - Sun 1 November. [www.hoopersbar.co.uk/guestales.html].
- Near East Dulwich, Hoopers Bar, 28 Ivanhoe Road, SE5 8DH had a Champions Beer Festival from Fri 16 - Sun 25 October. This featured CAMRA & SIBA 2009 Champion Beers. [www.hoopersbar.co.uk/guestales.html].
- The Speaker, 46 Great Peter Street, Victoria, SW1P 2HA, had a Halloween Ales Festival for one week from Mon 12 October - NOTE they are not normally open on Saturdays or Sundays. [www.pleisure.com/news.aspx?PubID=11].
- The Trafalgar, 23 High Path, SW19 2JY, had a Beer Festival on Fri 16 - Sun 18 October. Over 30 beers were available. [www.thetraf.com]. This was the 2008 Greater London Pub of the Year.
- The Sultan, 78 Norman Road, South Wimbledon, SW19 1B, had a Beer Festival on Fri 2 and Sat 3 October.
- The Bricklayer’s Arms, 32 Waterman Street, Putney, SW15 1DD, had a Devon & Cornwall Beer Festival from Thu 17 - Sun 20 September. Over 90 real ales were available. This pub is the current CAMRA London Regional Pub of the Year 2009. The festival featured beers from 40 of the South-West’s best breweries, with ales being shipped in from as far away as Jersey and the Scilly Isles.
- In the Victoria area, the Speaker, 46 Great Peter Street, Victoria, SW1P 2HA, had a Summer Ales Festival from Mon 24 August - Sun 6 September [website].
- The Falcon, 2 St. Johns Hill, London, SW11 1RU, had a Summer Real Ale Festival from Wed 26 - Fri 28 August. Over 40 real ales were available. This pub was a finalist for our 2008 Pub of the Year award.
- Just outside our area, Woodies Freehouse, Thetford Road, New Malden, KT3 5DX, had a beer Festival on Fri 21 - Sun 23 August [website].
- Also outside our area, the Hope, 48 West Street, Carshalton, SM5 2PR, had a LocALE Festival on Fri 12 - Sat 13 June [website]. This pub is the CAMRA Croydon & Sutton Branch [www.croydoncamra.org.uk] Sutton Pub of the Year 2009.
- The Eagle Ale House, 104 Chatham Rd, Battersea, SW11 6HG, hosted a Micro Brewer Beer Festival over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend, Fri 22 to Sun 24 May. Over 40 seasonal real ales were available. This pub was the runner up for our 2008 Pub of the Year award. The Friday entertainment was a Scratch Comedy Night featuring up and coming local comics and there was an all day Sunday Music Festival.
- The Jolly Coopers, 16 High Street, Hampton, Middlesex, had a Bottled Real Ale Festival in conjunction with livingbeer.com from Friday 1 - Sunday 10 May 2009. Some 50 different British RAiBs were available.
- The Wetherspoon International Ale Festival ran from Wed 15 April until Mon 4 May. There are eleven Wetherspoon’s pubs in our branch area.
- The Willoughby Arms, Willoughby Road, Kingston, KT2 6LN, had a Saint George’s Beer Festival from Wednesday 22 - Sunday 26 April 2009.
- The Wandsworth Common Beer Festival was at Le Gothique, Wandsworth Common, SW18 from 26 - 29 March.
- On Tuesday 24 March the Earl Ferrers [www.earlferrers.co.uk] in Ellora Road, Streatham held a ‘Meet the Brewer’ evening with Duncan Sambrook from SAMBROOK’S BREWERY [www.sambrooksbrewery.co.uk] in Battersea. [Details].
- From Thursday 26 February until Sunday 1 March our newly crowned Pub of the Year 2008, the Bricklayer’s Arms [www.bricklayers-arms.co.uk] in Putney held their mammoth Yorkshire Beer Festival 2009. They had a barrel from EVERY SINGLE BREWERY in Yorkshire that is currently brewing, together with their full range of Timothy Taylor Championship Beers. See the pub website for the full beer list.
BATTERSEA BEER FESTIVAL 2009
The 19th Battersea Beer Festival ran from Wednesday 11 to Friday 13 February 2009 at the usual venue, Battersea Arts Centre (BAC). A record 5,000+ attended over the three days of the festival. For full details see the Battersea 2009 page [http://batterseabeerfest.site90.net/battersea.html].
See all the 2008 festival information at http://batterseabeerfest.site90.net/batt08.html.
