Beer Festivals

Southern Hampshire CAMRA has been running the Southampton Beer Festival at Southampton Guildhall for the past 17 years.

In 2010 we added to this by organising an Autumn Festival, in Woolston, appropriately called Woolston Beer Festival. We repeated this the next year and it has become annual event.

In 2011 we held Winchester Real Ale and Cider Festival at the end of March, returning a CAMRA beer festival to Winchester Guildhall after a gap of 28 years. This was another big success and the return in 2012 was equally so, and we look forward to going back there again on 22nd & 23rd March 2013.

All the staff at our beer festivals are volunteers. Many members of Southern Hampshire CAMRA also volunteer their time to work at the Great British Beer Festival each year.

Some of our aims in running beer festivals are:

To serve customers quality cask conditioned real ale.
To promote real ale to the local community, therefore increasing its popularity.
To promote membership of CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale.

CAMRA Beer Festivals

If you'd like us to email you and let you know when we're holding beer festivals then join our "beerfests" mailing list and we'll keep you informed!

14th Devizes Beer Festival – 6th July 2013
The Wharf, Devizes, Wiltshire SN10 1EB
One day only 11:30 – 23:00. Tickets £6 in advance. Mainly open air festival, with some under canvas, beside Kennet & Avon Canal, family orientated, with live music. Run by Devizes CAMRA. Not too far from our branch area so included here, but transport links aren't great.
Great British Beer Festival – 13th August 2013
Olympia, London.
55,000 people expected at the biggest real ale festival in the world – run by volunteers from all CAMRA branches. Tickets on sale now.

Non-CAMRA Beer Festivals

Many beer festivals take place in our branch area, or nearby, that are not CAMRA beer festivals. Despite being unable to endorse these events, we believe that any beer festival that sells quality cask-conditioned real ales should be supported (see you there!). The information given here is purely for the benefit of readers, and is accurate to the best of our knowledge.

• Thu 20/06/2013 – Sat 22/06/2013	Trusty Servant Sausage & Cider Festival Trusty Servant, Minstead, Nr Lyndhurst SO43 7FY About ten ciders and twenty types of sausage. Live music Friday and Saturday. The last heat of The Forest's got Talent is on Sunday. www.thetrustyservant.co.uk/events.htm
• Thu 20/06/2013 – Sun 23/06/2013	Chaplin's Solstice Beer, Sausage and Cider Festival Chaplin's & The Cellar Bar, 529 Christchurch Rd, Boscombe, Bournemouth BH1 4AG Their first Real Ale and Cider Festival with a large selection of Waylands Sixpenny Ales and Sunny Republic and at least 37 real ales from up to 20 different breweries and 8 local ciders. Plenty of food & music as well. See www.chaplins-bar.co.uk/solstice-beer-sausage-and-cider-festival/
• Thu 20/06/2013 – Sun 23/06/2013	Junction Inn, St Denys 21 Priory Road, St. Denys, Southampton, SO17 2JZ More than 20 ales plus local ciders & bottled ales. From noon each day until 11pm (midnight Fri & Sat). Food available as normal. Music Thursday & Saturday nights, Friday night free quiz with beer & cash prizes. Their website is www.thejunction-inn.co.uk/ but there's no beer festival information there yet.
• Sat 22/06/2013	OtterFest Beer Festival The Otter, Boyatt Lane, Otterbourne SO21 2HW Two sessions, 12:00 –16:00 & 18:00 – 23:00. Adult entrance prices £10 & £12 respectively, cheaper for kids. Tickets on sale from 1st May. Not too many details yet but keep an eye on their website www.theotterpub.co.uk/
• Sat 22/06/2013	Lowde Festival, Hartley Whitney Mulberry House, Hazeley Bottom, Hartley Wintney, RG27 8LU Music and beer festival with around 40 beers and ciders. Ticket only. Adults £15, Students £10, Children under 18 free entry. Plenty for children to do. The campsite costs £10. Opens at 12:30 and finishes at 23:00. Food available. www.lowdefest.com/beer-and-bars/
• Fri 28/06/2013 – Sun 30/06/2013	New Forest Beer & Cider Festival The Hare & Hounds, Durnstown, Sway, Hampshire SO41 6AL Three days of Beer Cider & Music. Over 30 real ales and 20 ciders, plus hog roasts, barbecues and plenty of music too, all in association with Sway Carnival. Local camping available. If you are not a beer or cider fan there's a Pimms & Prosecco tent! They have a website www.pubsnewforest.co.uk/events-the-hare-and-hounds/ but it is a year out of date.
• Fri 28/06/2013 – Sun 30/06/2013	Rose in June, Portsmouth 102 Milton Road, Copnor, Portsmouth PO3 6AR Twenty plus beers and ciders. Music (usually folk) both afternoons and Saturday evening. For food, the barbecue will be busy throughout each day. A percentage of proceeds go to the Motor Neuron Disease Association. www.theroseinjune.co.uk/beerfests.html
• Thu 04/07/2013 – Sun 07/07/2013	Wilkes Head, Eastergate Church Lane, Eastergate, Nr Barnham, West Sussex, PO20 3UT From 17:00 on Thursday. Up to 35 beers in the cellar, 22 on tap at any one time. Western Sussex CAMRA Pub of the Year 2013, a 2km / 1¼ mile walk from Barnham station. See www.wilkesheadeastergate.co.uk/ for all details.
• Fri 05/07/2013 – Sun 07/07/2013	Closer To Food at Gunwharf Quays Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth Harbour PO1 3TZ Last year it was called a Food and Real Ale Festival but don't worry, the Real Ale tent will still be there this year. Twenty plus beers and a few ciders, complete with live musical acts and tasty bar snacks. www.visitportsmouth.co.uk/whats-on/closer-to-food-at-gunwharf-quays-p351561
• Fri 12/07/2013 – Sun 14/07/2013	Red Shoot Inn Tom's Lane, Linwood, New Forest BH24 3QT (OS: SU188094) Phone 01425 475792 Usually 20 plus beers and ciders, with food available all day and music in the evenings. Keep an eye on www.redshoot.co.uk/events-and-offers.php for more details.
• Fri 12/07/2013 – Sun 14/07/2013	New Forest Inn Emery Down, Lyndhurst SO43 7DY Summer beer festival. About twenty beers. Food available all day - barbecue & hog roast. Music each evening and on Saturday afternoon. The Sunday will feature the semi final of the Forest's Got Talent. thenewforestinn.co.uk/events.htm
• Thu 18/07/2013 – Sat 20/07/2013	Reading. Real Ale and Jazz Festival Christchurch Meadow, Reading (No postcode, NNE of the station just across the river) Over forty beers from twenty breweries. From 19:00 Thursday & Friday, 17:00 Saturday. Any money raised is donated to the Reading Hockey club. Ticket only. Tickets are £11 Thursday and Friday, £12 Saturday if booked before 1st June. More expensive after. raaj.info/
• Fri 19/07/2013 – Sat 20/07/2013	Kings Arms, Lockerley Romsey Road, Lockerley, Nr Romsey, SO51 0JF No further information at the moment. www.kingsarmsatlockerley.co.uk/events
• Fri 19/07/2013 – Sun 21/07/2013	Weyhill Fair Weyhill Road, Weyhill, Andover, SP11 0PP Not much information yet but previous years there were over 50 real ales, ciders, hog roasts and 3 days of free live music. www.weyhillfair.com/events/
• Fri 26/07/2013 – Sun 28/07/2013	Hampshire Bowman Beer and Cider Festival Hampshire Bowman, Dundridge Lane, Dundridge, Hampshire, SO32 1GD Between 60 and 80 real ales and ciders available from Midday Friday until it runs out on Sunday. We know no more than this at the moment. www.hampshirebowman.com
• Thu 08/08/2013 – Sun 11/08/2013	Bankes Arms Beer Festival The Bankes Arms, Manor Road, Studland Dorset BH19 3AU Annual beer festival. 200 beers and ciders. Food available all day. Music at various times during the festival. www.bankesarmsbeerfestival.com/
• Sat 10/08/2013	Fleet Lions Beer Festival The Harlington, 236 Fleet Road, Fleet, Hants, GU51 4BY At least 28 Real Ales + Local Ciders + BBQ. Open lunchtime 11:00 – 15:00 & evening 17:30 – 21:30. See www.fleetlions.org.uk/beerfest for all details. The profits from this festival go to charity.
• Wed 14/08/2013 – Fri 16/08/2013	Brushmakers Arms Shoe Lane, Upham, Hampshire SO32 1JJ Annual afternoon beer festival. Friday afternoon and from noon to 18:00 Saturday & Sunday. Up to ten beers on stillage and a few on hand pump plus a few ciders. Music both afternoons. Ticket only. www.brushmakers-arms.co.uk/social.htm
• Fri 16/08/2013 – Sat 17/08/2013	Turfcutters Arms Main Road, East Boldre, SO42 7WL Upwards of 15 real ales avaliable with a couple of ciders to boot. Barbecue from 14:00 to 20:00 both days and three live bands. Keep an eye on their website for more details www.the-turfcutters-new-forest.co.uk/
• Fri 16/08/2013 – Sun 18/08/2013	Trusty Servant Beer Festival Weekend Trusty Servant, Minstead, Nr Lyndhurst SO43 7FY About a dozen beers and ciders. Saturday is in conjunction with the Minstead Village Fete - barbecue, hog roast, stuff for the kids etc., and Sunday afternoon has the final of The Forest's Got Talent. www.thetrustyservant.co.uk/events.htm
• Sun 18/08/2013	Lord Nelson, Hythe 5 High Street, Hythe SO45 6AG Cider and sausage festival. The New Forest Yokels will be entertaining during the afternoon. It may well be open a day or two earlier. You could try phoning 023 8084 2169.
• Sat 24/08/2013	Somerley Beer & Music Festival The Walled garden, Old Somerley, Ellingham, Ringwood Their 3rd beer festival with around twenty real ales/ciders and, if the same as last year, a Barbecue/Hog roast and a bouncy castle to mix it all up. Music all day. Entrance £10, but you do get £5 of tokens, free for under 16s if you book in advance. To get to it go a mile or so north of Ringwood on the A338 then turn left along Ellngham drive. It’s on the right just after you go over the river (A postcode and Sat Nav won't work!), or use the shuttle bus. Camping available by arrangement. www.somerleybeerfestival.com/
• Sat 24/08/2013 – Sun 25/08/2013	Victorious Festival Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, Victory Gate, HM Naval Base, Portsmouth PO1 3LJ The King James Real Ale Festival is part of the Victorious Festival which features music events, the usual Dockyard attractions such as HMS Victory, HMS Warrior & The Mary Rose, and more. Entrance is £15 for the whole festival. The Real Ale part is organised in conjunction Irving & Co. Brewers and The Leopold Tavern, bringing you over 100 real ales from across the country. Ciders and other refreshments will be on offer as an alternative to the real ales. More information at www.victoriousfestival.co.uk/category/real-ale-festival/
• Sat 24/08/2013 – Mon 26/08/2013	Bell Inn, St Cross St Cross Road, Winchester, SO23 9RE Beer festival with a Hog Roast and music. www.bellwinchester.co.uk/events.html
• Fri 06/09/2013 – Sat 07/09/2013	13th Burbage Beer Festival Burbage & Easton Royal Sports Club, East Sands, Marlborough SN8 3AN This one is a bit out of our area but it sounds fun. It’s their 17th festival, and starts on Friday evening at 1800. Music during in the evenings and a six a side tournament on Saturday. Tickets are needed. More details will follow later. www.burbagefestival.co.uk/
• Sat 28/09/2013	Sherfield on Loddon Beer Festival Sherfield Village Hall, Reading Road, Sherfield on Loddon, Hook, Hants RG27 0EZ 6th annual beer festival. Over 30 beers, mostly from local breweries, hog roast and live music all day. Session is from 11:30 to 23:00. Ticket price includes a program and a glass. There's a free evening taxi service to Bramley station. This is an excellent beer festival especially if the weather is kind. They are also after volunteers to help out. www.sherfieldbeerfestival.org.uk/

If you know of any more non-CAMRA beer festivals in our branch area then please email the details to us.