The Beer Festival Guide

By Simon Grist

Updates on our website. Go to bit.ly/MCbeerfests

1st – 5th August 2023: Great British Beer Festival gbbf.org.uk

CAMRA’s flagship beer festival held at Kensington Olympia. Expect many hundreds of real ales, craft beers, ciders and perries. Also, live music, numerous tutored tasting events, and the announcement of the Champion Beer of Britian. Reduced entry for CAMRA members.

5th August 2023: Fleet Beerfest fleetlions.org.uk/beerfest

This beer festival is run by the Fleet Lions in aid of local charitable causes. Over 40 real ales and 10 ciders are advertised both local & from afar. Customers are requested to bring their own lined glass.

25th– 28th August 2023: White Horse Hedgerley Beer Festival facebook.com/whitehorsehedgerley

A Bank Holiday beer festival for this delightful country pub Expected to feature 25 to 30 rare and unusual ales over the course of the weekend. Also ciders, perries and foreign beers.

26th– 28th August 2023: Wokingham Festival wokinghamfestival.co.uk

A beer festival held as part of a wider community festival. The beers are organised by those nice people from Twyford beer festival. Expect around 50 local ales and craft beers, plus 12 ciders and perries over the course of the weekend.

26th– 28th August 2023: Hungerford Club Beer Festival hungerford-club.co.uk/?event=hungerford-club-beer-festival-3 The annual Bank Holiday beer festival at this club not far from Hungerford station. Around 12 real ales both local and from afar are expected, plus some ciders.

1st– 2nd September 2023: Blackwater Valley Cask & Cork Festival caskandcork.co.uk

Charity festival with around 30 beers, plus wines and ciders. A 30 min walk from Sandhurst station, but bus 3 from Blackwater gets closer. Free beer token for CAMRA members showing their card on entry.

1st– 2nd September 2023: Haslemere Beer Festival haslemerebeerfestival.co.uk

Located just a short train journey beyond Guildford, this festival advertises 40 carefully selected beers (mostly local) plus around ten ciders and perries. Also, a spirits bar this year.

9th September 2023: Newbury Real Ale Festival newburyrealale.co.uk

This charity festival is located a 15-minute walk away from Newbury station, just down the line from Reading. Expect around 140 real ales, and 100 ciders & perries. To simplify serving, all the drinks are given a sequence number in the programme so you order a beer by its number.

22nd– 23rd September 2023: Burghfest burghfest.org.uk

A beer festival within a village festival, held in aid of Thames Valley Air Ambulance. It is accessible on the 2 bus route from Reading, and promises 25 real ales, 10 craft beers and 10 ciders. Funfair rides and live music make for a great day out.

23rd September 2023: Sherfield on Loddon Beer Festival sherfieldbeerfestival.org.uk

Located in the village of Sherfield on Loddon (on the A33 NE of Basingstoke). Expect around 40 mostly local beers and a few ciders. There is a free evening taxi service back to Bramley station.

6th– 7th October 2023: Ascot Beer Festival ascotbeerfest.org.uk

Your local Berkshire SE branch of CAMRA’s own festival, organised in collaboration with Ascot Racecourse. We expect to feature over 140 real ales and 25 ciders/perries. A race meeting runs in parallel with the festival, with CAMRA discounts for advance bookings

19th– 21st October 2023: Swindon CAMRA Beer Festival facebook.com/SwindonBeerFestival

Swindon & North Wilts CAMRA’s beer festival is conveniently located in the STEAM museum near Swindon station (which is less than half an hour’s journey from Reading). Expect around 90 real ales, plus 25 ciders and perries.

2nd– 4th November 2023: Teddington Beer Festival teddingtonbeerfestival.co.uk

A second beer festival at this location after a successful first running last year. Easily accessible by bus or train from Twickenham. Over 60 real ales and 15 ciders are expected.

9th – 11th November 2023: Egham Beer Festival eghambeerfestival.co.uk

Another charity festival at Egham United Services Club. Expect around 50 ales, plus a good selection of ciders & perries. Reduced entry for CAMRA members. A short walk from Egham station.

16th– 18th November 2023: Twickenham CAMRA Beer Festival facebook.com/TwickenhamBeerFestival

Run by Richmond & Hounslow CAMRA, this festival is expected to feature around 35 real ales and 8 ciders & perries. It is located close to St Margarets station (along the Reading to Waterloo line). Reduced entry for CAMRA members.