May the thirst be with you! Kidbrooke Beer and Cider Festival 1-3 May

South East London CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale) and Charlton Park Rugby Club (CPRFC) are delighted to announce the 1st Kidbrooke Beer and Cider Festival taking place at Broad Walk, SE3 on 1-3 May.

• 1st Kidbrooke Beer & Cider Festival in 40 year branch history
• 50 ales and 21 ciders and perries available at Charlton Park RFC

This festival will see a community celebration of two of the UK’s finest products – beer and cider. In its 40th year, the South East London branch of CAMRA is laying on a stunning 50 real ales and 21 ciders and perries for festival goers to enjoy.

The event will be held at the CPRFC club house and surroundings – a fantastic setting with the rugby fields overlooked by Shooters Hill. Volunteers from the branch have been planning this event for months and are expecting this new festival venue to attract around 1,000 visitors during the 3 days leading up to the Mayday holiday.

To show his support, local MP Clive Efford has agreed to officially open the event on Thursday evening.

Steve Silcock, Branch Chair, has said “We’re really excited to be holding our festival in Kidbrooke this year. This is a wonderful opportunity for beer and cider lovers of all ages to sample some of the best local and national brews. Brockley Brewery will also be on hand for a ‘meet the brewer’ session on the Saturday afternoon.”

“With locally produced cider from Eltham and Honor Oak Park, food available throughout the festival, live rock ‘n’ roll music on Friday evening and an Irish session band on Saturday afternoon this is an event not to be missed!”

Beer festivals offer a fantastic opportunity to showcase London’s thriving and vibrant brewery scene, with over 20 microbreweries opening over the last few years in SE London alone, including Woolwich’s crowd funded ‘Hop Stuff’ who are one of the festival’s sponsors.

The local and national brewing scene has undergone a transformation in recent years. With this year also being the Branch’s 40th anniversary, there is cause for reflection on how different things were back in 1974. Then brewing in South East London had all but died and very few pubs sold real ale – how different from today!

CAMRA, one of the country’s largest consumer organisations, works with local communities and nationally to save the “local”. There is an outstanding example of what can be achieved with the Ivy House in Nunhead – SE London CAMRA Pub of the Year 2014 – which is now owned and run by shareholders from the local area.

CAMRA has also locally campaigned for the Dutch House in Eltham and for the reopening of the Windmill in Sydenham. The famous Montague Arms in Peckham/ New Cross has recently re-opened and has been packed with fans of real ale.

The Festival runs from Noon until 10:30 pm from Thursday 1st to Saturday 3rd of May. Entry is £2 (£1 for CAMRA members).

For more information about the festival and how you can get involved with CAMRA, visit our website, follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook.

Further information

Festival webpage:

http://sel.camra.org.uk/kidbrooke-beer-cider-festival/

Saving the Ivy House

http://www.ivyhousenunhead.com/savingtheIH.php

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/pubs/10585010/Pint-to-pint-The-Ivy-House-London-SE15.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-22016830

Saving the Dutch House and Porcupine

http://www.mercury-today.co.uk/news.cfm?id=15200

Montague Arms reopens

https://www.flickr.com/photos/selcamra/11330732153/

http://www.ipernity.com/doc/302595/31146909