Norwich Beer Festival returns for 2021

Norwich’s largest beer festival is set to return in October 2021!

The 43rd Norwich Beer Festival, run by Norwich & District CAMRA, will once again return to the delight of beer lovers!  

Running from Monday 25 to Saturday 30 October 2021 (October half term), the festival will again be hosted at The Halls (St Andrew’s and Blackfriars'), Norwich. 

Following the green light from the national CAMRA organisation, Norwich’s beer festival returns with many national and local real ales of every shade and style, alongside international beers and food.

The dedicated cider and perry bar will be graded from sweet to dry and the popular world beer bar, in the marquee, returns too. The Curiosity bar, featuring special beers, is returning for its 3rd year!

As usual, every day, including Saturday, visitors to October’s Norwich Beer Festival can pay on the door – and for those who like to secure advance tickets, they will be on sale soon!

For those who like to collect the Norwich Beer Festival beer glasses, the festival continues to run in chronological order, missing 2020.

This year’s charity is Norfolk SEN Network, supporting parents of children with special educational needs (SEN) and young people aged 16-25 with SEN to find the right educational placement or provision to meet their needs.

Craig Harmer, Beer Festival Organiser, commented: ‘We are delighted to once again be organising Norwich Beer Festival and supporting our local breweries. We all missed the festival in 2020 and trust it will again receive the fantastic support of customers, tradespeople and volunteers.

‘Advance tickets are only available for a limited time, so be quick!  As ever we shall be welcoming payment on the door. 

‘I would also like to add a special thank you to the breweries who supported the recent Norwich Pub Festival.’

Norwich Pub Festival launched

Norwich Pub Festival launched on Thursday July 1st. 

For the month of July, people can tour the pubs in the festival, receive a stamp in the festival guide (collectable from any of the participating pubs) and for each of the 7 colour-coded zones completed, receive a wristband at the designated final stop. 

If you have a drink (of any kind) in all 62 pubs, collect all stamps and wrist bands, a surprise gift will be presented at Norwich Beer Festival in October!

Participating breweries are supplying pubs with free beer and cider as part of the festival!  Look out for these featured breweries, listed in the guide, when visiting the pubs.

Festival pubs (for maps, see the guide):

Black Zone – Coach & Horses Thorpe Road, Jubilee, Maids Head Hotel, Red Lion, Wig & Pen, Fat Cat & Canary, Lollards Pit, Merchants House, Ribs of Beef, Kings Head, Magdalen Street

Blue Zone – Alexandra Tavern, Fat Cat, Louis Marchesi, St Andrew’s Brewhouse, White Lion, Cherry Tree, Garden House, Rumsey Wells, Strangers Tavern, Golden Star

Green Zone – Queens Head Hethersett, Cellar House, Rose Tavern, York, Beehive, Eagle, Unthank, Kings Head Hethersett

Red Zone – Norfolk Lurcher, Honingham Buck, White Hart Wymondham, Green Dragon, White Hart Hotel Hingham, Marlingford Bell, Carleton Rode Social Club

Yellow Zone – Cross Keys, White Horse, The Crown, Hop In, Kings Head Lingwood, Green Man, Shoulder of Mutton

Orange Zone – Angel Gardens, Boundary, Duke of Wellington, Rosebery, Plasterers, Artichoke, Cottage, The Brewery Tap, Malt & Mardle, Leopard

Purple Zone – Freemasons, Coach & Horses Bethel St, Sir Toby’s, Walnut Tree Shades, Murderers, Kings Arms, Pig & Whistle, Vine, Trafford Arms, Rose Inn

Getting around

Almost all the pubs taking part are on train or bus routes, and we’ll include public transport details in the festival guide. In Norwich, the central zones are walkable, and the pubs are very close to each other. 

Keep safe!

Please adhere to the latest Covid guidelines and drink responsibly.  If you need to drive or cycle, please keep everyone safe and have a soft drink, you’ll still get your stamp!

Finding out more?

Details of all the pubs and breweries taking part are in the festival guide. 

Social media links:

facebook.com/NorwichPubFestival 

Twitter @NorwichPubFest 

Instagram @norwichpubfestival

#NorwichPubFest21

Champion Cask Ale of Norfolk 2021

The Norfolk branches of CAMRA (The Campaign for Real Ale) have declared Mad Wolf, a Red Ale brewed by the Wolf Brewery, of Besthorpe, the Champion Cask Ale of Norfolk 2021.

Described by the judges as having a “Well rounded malty foundation with chocolate and chestnut support. A bittersweet hoppiness provides depth and balance. Full bodied and lasting”, the brew emerged as winner after a difficult year of judging by the Norfolk Taste Panel.

Panel chair Alan Edwards commented: “The last few months have been difficult for both the public and the trade. We have appreciated the efforts made by brewers and publicans to ensure the availability of Real Ale, even when the pubs have been closed.

“The members of the panel have taken every opportunity to taste the many wonderful brews available to the Norfolk drinker.”

Second place overall went to Fusioneer, a dark flavoursome mild described as having a biscuity roast backbone, brewed by Mr Winter’s Brewery, of Norwich. In third place was Lignum Vitae, a strong ale with toffee, orange and banana notes, from the Grain Brewery, of Alburgh in South Norfolk.

Alan added: “CAMRA recently reviewed and revised both the guidelines to beer styles and the actual judging cards used by the panel. This has enabled the beers to be judged against, and where appropriate repositioned into, both traditional and modern styles of brewing.

“This has given a much better fit for many of the beers as well as recognising the new adventurous brews now available. The panel is to be congratulated for embracing the new styles with enthusiasm and seeking out the best of Norfolk brews.”

Eleven of the 40-plus Norfolk breweries are represented in the awards and CAMRA hopes they will encourage landlords to stock the many fine brews available from local breweries and customers to seek out, support their local pubs.

The Norfolk panel is always looking for new members. If you would like to join us, please e-mail tastingpanel@norwichcamra.org.uk -- the greater the number of people contributing tastings throughout the county, the more beers we can taste, giving more breweries the chance to win awards.

Champion Cask Ale of Norfolk 2021 results:

Overall Winners
Winner - Mad Wolf, Wolf, Besthorpe
Runner Up - Fusioneer, Mr Winter’s, Norwich
3rd - Lignum Vitae, Grain, Alburgh

Mild Ales
Winner - Fusioneer, Mr Winter’s, Norwich

Session Bitters
Winner= - Table Bitter, Golden Triangle, Norwich
Winner= - Wensum Ale, St. Andrews Brewhouse, Norwich
3rd - Norwich Bitter, Fat Cat, Norwich

Premium Bitters
Winner - Nelsons, Woodfordes, Woodbastwick

Session Pale Blonde and Golden Ales
Winner - Evolution, Mr Winter’s, Norwich
Runner Up - Golden Jackal, Wolf, Besthorpe
3rd - Lupus Lupus, Wolf, Besthorpe

Premium Pale Blonde and Golden Ales
Winner - Legacy, Lacons, Gt. Yarmouth
Runner Up - White Face, Moon Gazer, Hindringham

Red Ales, Brown Ales, Old Ales & Strong Milds
Winner - Mad Wolf, Wolf, Besthorpe

Session Stouts & Porters
Winner - Vanilla Latte, Mr Winter’s, Norwich
Runner Up - Tombland Porter, St. Andrews, Norwich
3rd - Black Anna, Chalk Hill, Norwich

Strong Stouts & Porters
Winner - Dark Horse Stout, Elmtree, Snetterton

Barley Wines & Strong Ales
Winner - Lignum Vitae, Grain, Alburgh

Speciality Beers
Winner - Honey Ale, Fat Cat, Norwich

Norwich Pub Festival 2021

Missing beer festivals? Try Norwich Pub Festival!

A month-long celebration featuring over 100 local pubs and breweries

This July, over 60 pubs in and around Norwich will be part of a month-long Norwich Pub Festival. It is the first event of this type run by Norwich & District CAMRA and it is designed to get more people back to the pub and enjoying local beers.

Pub Festival organiser Craig Harmer said: “During lockdown we were all missing the pub terribly, and we had to cancel Norwich Beer Festival last October.

“During our online committee meetings, we started talking about how we could help pubs get back on their feet after a difficult year.

“We wanted to plan something exciting for people, as well as supporting our fabulous local pubs and breweries.”

How will it work?

People can visit pubs from within colour-coded zones, mapped out in a festival guide available from participating venues. Each zone will include between 8 and 11 pubs, with a whole month to visit as many as you choose! 

The festival is not about pub crawling, but an opportunity to enjoy and support our local pubs safely and leisurely. 

Anyone who gets a stamp from every pub in a zone can claim a souvenir coloured wristband, and if you collect all colours (one wristband for each zone), you’ll qualify for a special prize to be awarded at Norwich Beer Festival in October!

Each pub is partnered with a brewery and receives a free cask of beer from them. They’ll also have the opportunity to work together to organise promotional events for customers during the festival.

There are over 40 breweries taking part and we want to say a huge thank you to them all for their support.

Getting around

Almost all the pubs taking part are on train or bus routes, and we’ll include public transport details in the festival guide. In Norwich, the central zones are walkable, and the pubs are very close to each other. 

Keep safe!

Please adhere to the latest Covid guidelines and drink responsibly.  If you need to drive or cycle, please keep everyone safe and have a soft drink, you’ll still get your stamp!

Finding out more?

Details of all the pubs and breweries taking part will be included in the festival guide, which you can pick up in pubs from June 21st. An online version will also be available via our social media pages:

facebook.com/NorwichPubFestival

Twitter @NorwichPubFest 

IG @NorwichPubFestival

Norfolk’s 2021 Best Bottled Beers -- Lacons announced as the clear winner!

Norwich & District CAMRA’s tasting panel have carefully deliberated over some of the finest bottled beers and have selected the very best of Norfolk.

The overall Gold winner has now been revealed as Lacons Audit Ale, a dark copper barley wine bursting with marmalade, berry and spice aromas and flavours.

Brewed by the Great Yarmouth based Lacons Brewery, Audit Ale has been named the Champion Bottled Beer of Norfolk 2021.

The 8.0% strong barley wine stood out for judges who described it as having ‘Honey, marmalade and a sweet maltiness with a bitter edge’, and was given the accolade after a year-long series of tastings by members of the local Tasting Panel.

Lacons also scooped second place, for their Imperial Stout, inspired by stronger recipes from Lacons’ past, with mighty malt flavours; this beer was described by judges as ‘A kaleidoscope of malt, caramel and dried fruit with dark chocolate throughout.’

Overall third place was claimed by the new Birdhouse Brewery with their Mild. This is the first time this West Norfolk producer has featured in the awards – with one of the brewery’s original beers, a traditional mild, full of favour.

Panel chair Alan Edwards explained: ‘Real ale in a bottle has been the only way to enjoy the many quality Norfolk-brewed beers recently, due to pub closures and restrictions due to the Covid pandemic. It has also enabled many breweries to survive.’

Many of Norfolk’s 45 breweries produce Real Ale In a Bottle (RAIB). All were invited to enter the competition. Alan went on to add ‘The number of beers judged is only part of the rich portfolio available to Norfolk drinkers.

‘There are beers to suit all tastes, and we encourage ale-lovers to try them! CAMRA is part of the battle to preserve our rich pub and brewery heritage and we urge all appreciators to do their part in supporting local pubs and breweries.’

The full list of category winners:

OVERALL
1ST Lacons Brewery Audit Ale - Great Yarmouth
RUNNER UP Lacons Brewery Imperial Stout - Great Yarmouth
THIRD Birdhouse Brewery Mild - Downham Market

MILDS
1ST Birdhouse Brewery Mild - Downham Market

SESSION BITTERS
1ST Humpty Dumpty Brewery Humpty Dumpty Ale - Reedham

PREMIUM BITTERS
1ST Elmtree Brewery Snetterton Scary Tree - Snetterton

IPAs
1ST Elmtree Brewery Top of the Hop - Snetterton

SESSION PALE, BLONDE & GOLDEN ALES
1ST Two Rivers Brewery Happy Hopper - Denver
RUNNER UP Tindall Brewery Summer Loving - Seething

PREMIUM PALE, BLONDE & GOLDEN ALES
1ST Mr Winters Brewery Twisted Ladder - Norwich
RUNNER UP Elmtree Brewery Golden Pale Ale - Snetterton

RED ALES, BROWN ALES, OLD ALES & STRONG MILDS
1ST Lacons Brewery Old Nogg - Great Yarmouth

SESSION STOUTS & PORTERS
1ST Mr Winters Brewery Rorschach - Norwich
RUNNER UP Tindall Brewery Caramel Stout - Seething

STRONG STOUTS & PORTERS
1ST Lacons Brewery Imperial Stout - Great Yarmouth
RUNNER UP Grain Brewery Slate - Alburgh

BARLEY WINES & STRONG ALES
1ST Lacons Brewery Audit Ale - Great Yarmouth

SPECIALITY BEERS
1ST Elmtree Brewery Winter Solstice - Snetterton
RUNNER UP Panther Brewery Hunter Dry Hopped Lager - Reepham

WHAT PUB?
WhatPub.com is CAMRA’s comprehensive online pub guide. It is free to members and non-members and is easily the most complete and up-to-date pub guide in the UK – giving information on local and national pubs; including updates on re-opening, facilities and special events and links to individual pubs’ social media and websites.  

Remembering Warren Wordsworth

Sadly, Warren Wordsworth, a former chairman of the Norwich & District CAMRA branch (2013-2016) died at his home in late 2020 and was cremated on January 5th 2021.

Aged 66, and originally from Polstead, in Essex, Warren lived in Norwich for many years and will probably be best remembered by many local drinkers as the person in charge of the products stall at Norwich Beer Festival.

With over 30 years membership of CAMRA, Warren was also previously the branch membership secretary, pubs officer, secretary and public affairs officer, where his administration skills were a useful asset.

Some may also recall Warren's leading role during the National CAMRA AGM & Members' Weekend held at St. Andrew's Hall in Norwich in April 2013.

Warren also enjoyed travelling, photography and trains and was an active member of the Norfolk Railway Society.

He was a keen promoter of pubs and had published a book on pub walks around Norwich, and will be remembered by several Suffolk CAMRA members as a regular competitor at the annual bowls matches played between Norfolk and Suffolk.

The Hop In, North Walsham, is our Branch Pub of the Year 2020

The Hop In, North Walsham, is Norwich & District CAMRA’s Branch Pub of the Year 2020.

Congratulations to Jane Edrupt, Nigel Davies, Richard Cornwall and Sue Squires and their team on winning the overall Branch Pub of the Year for 2020!

Not only have the Hop In won Branch Pub of the Year 2020 but are also winners of Branch Rural Pub of the Year 2020.  The award was presented at the pub on Friday 18 September.

A jewel in the crown for North Walsham, The Hop In is a valued welcome to the local community and visitors of the market town. One of the best local transformations, this rare Norfolk micro pub offers a relaxed, friendly place to enjoy a good range of real ales on gravity, bottled and foreign beers and real ciders.

Richard and Sue decided to take early retirement in July 2020 and now Nigel and Jane are the co-owners of the pub. They are pleased to be joined by Julie and Adrian Hillier in keeping the Hop In going during these difficult times.

To allow for Covid restrictions, seating in the pub is restricted and there is additional seating outside and take-aways are also popular.

Richard Cornwall, previous joint owner of the Hop In, said: ‘I just want to thank all our customers for their valued support. We are very pleased that the business has been so successful and that we have been able to provide a venue in North Walsham for real ale drinkers. It has been a big team effort and we have been helped by local breweries supplying a great choice of ales.’

WhatPub entry for the Hop In.

More winners!

Branch City Pub of the Year 2020 has been scooped up by the ever-popular Fat Cat in Norwich.

The Fat Cat have twice won CAMRA’s National Pub of the Year and with 30+ real ales served all year round, it is little-surprising the Fat Cat has won Norwich’s City Pub of the Year! They also serve food and some of the most interesting lagers, craft ales, traditional perries and ciders.  

With additional seating outside now also extended to outside the Fat Percy, up the road from The Fat Cat, there is plenty of room to socially distance and enjoy something from their traditional real ale emporium.

WhatPub entry for the Fat Cat.

The White Lion is Branch Cider Pub of the Year 2020.

Many-times the winner of this accolade, the White Lion continues to be the trail blazer, offering the best cider and perries in the city, although, partly thanks to others following the trail over the past eight years, the pub won't be able to rest on its laurels!

Congratulations to landlord Oscar Gerdes, former landlord of The Garden House, who took over the popular pub from Russell Corke in early 2019. 

WhatPub entry for the White Lion.

Second ever Branch Club of the Year 2020 won by the Carleton Rode Social Club.

In the second year of this new branch competition, judged by Clubs Officer and a small judging panel, the Carleton Rode Social Club has beaten all local pubs to be awarded Branch Club of the Year 2020!

‘The whole team at Carleton Rode Social Club are incredibly proud of this achievement, to have our volunteer efforts be recognised by such a prestigious body is wonderful. Credit must also be given to the great local breweries who have helped us supply great real ales so well’.

Offering real ales and affordable drinks, congratulations go to the team, and the supporting community, on their win.

Now with protective screens and distanced tables both indoors and outdoors, the club is continuing to offer a full calendar of social events for all the family – with free membership being offered until May 2020!

WhatPub entry for the Carleton Rode Social Club.

Ian Stamp, Norwich & District CAMRA’s Pub Campaigns Co-ordinator, said: ‘Congratulations to the Hop In on their first Pub of the Year award, and to the Fat Cat, White Lion and Carleton Rode.

‘As always, the competition was very tough, as there are so many excellent pubs in the branch area. Thank you to all the CAMRA members who scored the pubs’.