Norwich and Norfolk CAMRA is getting ready to celebrate the 40th year of the Norwich Beer Festival.
Real ales from Britain's independent brewers will be on sale, along with ciders, perries, wines plus bottled and draught foreign beers. Special ales will be launched to mark the occasion and home brewers have been invited to take part.
Preparations are well under way now for the festival to open on the Monday 23rd October and will run until Saturday 28th October, with a few festival specials to celebrate the 40th year.
The Norwich Beer Festival in October takes place in the medieval halls known as St Andrew's and Blackfriars' Halls. The Halls are a friary complex dating back to the 13th century, rebuilt in 1470 and Grade 1 listed. The friary survived the reformation as it was bought by the City Corporation for public use - an inspired and far-sighted decision!
The 40th Norwich Beer Festival offers a nostalgic appeal, with a range of beers served from wooden casks and some of the beers originally ordered for the first beer festival in 1977.
Festival organisers have tracked down beers originally brewed for the first beer festival, though festival organising committee member Martin Ward added ‘unfortunately not at 1977 prices!’.
When asked why the festival has been going from strength to strength, Martin commented: ‘We hit the mark and offer something for everyone, a social event with good quality ales, of a variety of styles, excellent entertainment, in a unique venue. It is attended every year by thousands of people and each year people return and bring their colleagues, partners, family and friends.’
Rob Derbridge, Norwich Beer Festival Organiser, explained that 2017 is the 40th Norwich Beer Festival, with the first festival in 1977, the festival then skipped a year in 1978 with the second festival held in 1979.
Rob commented that the organisers of that first festival probably had little idea of the success of the festival, currently with over 18,000 door admissions each year.
For those who have never experienced the festival, you can expect a vibrant evening with entertainment, games, food and beers. There is such a wide variety of beers, ciders, world beers and even wine, you can’t fail to find something you like! There are even gluten-free beers.
Quieter sessions tend to be at lunchtime and in the early half of the week as the festival builds to the popular Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
Monday and Thursday evenings will feature a brass brand. Brass bands have become a popular feature at Norwich Beer Festival and the 40th celebration simply wouldn’t be the same without!
The performance will be fitting tribute to the start of the 40th Norwich Beer Festival. Bands will also play most lunchtimes and evenings, for the full line-up please visit the Norwich CAMRA website.
Music-free sessions in St Andrew’s Hall are on Tuesday evening and Wednesday lunchtime. On the busy weekend nights, visitors can still enjoy a quiet conversation in the marquee, cloisters and Blackfriars' Hall. There is also seating in the cloisters and marquee.
Opening times and prices, a map of where to find the Halls and a layout plan can all be found on the Norwich CAMRA website. The website also has a guide and will have beer and cider lists nearer to the opening date, so you can plan your visit beforehand.
On entrance to the halls visitors may purchase a festival glass and beer cards, as cash is not accepted at the bars, and remaining beer card tokens may be cashed-in at the end of the visit, or donated to charity.
The 2017 charity of the Norwich & Norfolk CAMRA Branch is Leeway. Established in 1974, Leeway is an independent charity providing support to adults, young people and children who are experiencing domestic abuse in Norfolk and Waveney. Every year the charity provides specialist support to over 8,000 adults, children and young people.
Craig Harmer, Deputy Beer Festival Organiser, explains: ‘We have adapted to demands with the addition of KeyKeg beers in 2016 and the introduction of mead this year’
The festival also benefits from a new fast track entry system which was introduced last year and speeds up entry, reducing queuing and waiting times.
Ian Stamp, Branch Chairman, expressed his thanks to the branch volunteer members and added: ‘the festival simply would not run without the dedication of all the volunteers. There is a lot of hard work which goes on behind the scenes, both during and on the run up to the festival, though not without plenty of fun and, of course, beer!’
Ian mentioned that the World Beer Bar has grown and will have a beer from almost every Trappist brewery in the world, with some new and aged Orval. He added that there will also be some aged cask beers at the festival.
This year, the festival will be open longer on Saturday 28th October, as there will be no break between the sessions and Saturday admission will be from 12noon until 9pm, with closing time at 9.30pm, with cash entry on the door (or with a limited number of advance tickets) or free admission with a valid CAMRA membership card. Entrance on Saturday is only £3 all day for non-members.
There will be a special treat for home brewers as they will be able to sample winners of the Great Anglian Brew Off. Home brewers from across the region have been given the opportunity to launch their own beer for the 40th Norwich Beer Festival as part of a competition held prior to the festival with Anglian Craft Brewers in association with CAMRA.
Norwich pubs will also be ready to host those visiting the festival from afar, with a real ales and ciders, including CAMRA’s 2017 award winners - the Kings Head in Magdalen Street, Fat Cat Brewery Tap in Lawson Road and the White Lion in Oak Street.
The selection of real ciders and perries has grown year on year, as the appeal for ciders has grown in recent years, with drinkers preferring a wide selection of flavours and styles. This year the festival will offer 80 different varieties, mostly from East Anglia.
Over the four decades the festival has evolved from around 20 odd beers served on small tables in Blackfrairs' Hall in 1977, where the organisers visited breweries one by one requesting to buy beer for an unknown local festival. Now there are over 220 cask-conditioned real ales on sale and the organisers have reached capacity!
Festival goers may also vote on their favourite beer in the festival competition. You can vote for your festival beer using the voting form in the programme and the results should be announced at the end of the week before the festival finishes on Saturday.
Cash admissions will be available on the door at every session. As always, CAMRA members have free entry all week with the presentation of a valid membership card.
Free entrance to CAMRA members will also be extended to the week of the Great British Beer Festival Winter. The festival is hosted by Norwich & Norfolk CAMRA in Norwich at the Halls from 20th to 24th February 2018. The February festival, which offers beers of every season, shade and style, will then stay in Norwich for 2019 before moving to a different CAMRA region. For more information visit winter.gbbf.org.uk.
For full information about Norwich Beer Festival visit the festival website.
