Northampton County Beer Festival is taking place on the 1st to 3rd June 2018, writes Elisha Dexter.
The beer festival showcases the finest drinks from the county’s best independent producers. It is the largest beer festival in Northamptonshire and has been running for over 44 years.
The event will be held at Becket’s Park, which is close to the town, starting at 11am until 11pm on Friday 1st June and Saturday 2nd June. Sunday’s finish is earlier: 11am-6pm.
Entry to the festival costs £5 for adults, £2 for children and £4 on the Sunday. In addition to this there will be a reduced entry price of £1 for CAMRA members as well as a £2 refundable festival glass.
The event is run by Phipps Northampton Brewery Company, as it has been for the past three years. Northants CAMRA will run the ale and cider bars. Along with this they will assist with running the Champion Beer of Northamptonshire competition.
It is fast becoming a touchstone for what is good in county drinks production as well as a celebration of our drinks industry’s diversity.
Spokesman for Made in Northamptonshire Anna Murby said: “Made In Northamptonshire is proud to support the Beer Festival, an event which celebrates all that is great about the county’s local drinks producers. Our brewers are numerous and provide a depth of flavours and range of tastes to satisfy all palates but what is so exciting is that they are becoming well known beyond the county boundary for the quality, diversity and integrity of their offer.
“The team behind food and drink promotion in Northamptonshire recommends the Festival to other drinks producers and local food manufacturers as a place to showcase their wares to a discerning audience.”
New Lodge Vineyards, based in Earls Barto, will have a stall selling wine on site as well as wine to take away. Wine on sale will include their famous sparkling wines Nene Valley Blush and Nene Valley Nectar.
The festival will feature the usual array of cask ales as well as craft ale, lager, cider, wines and spirits. The event will have a number of stands including ‘funky festival food’, and there will be music from some of the town’s finest bands. Headlining Friday’s opening night are Northampton’s Irish folk band, Donnybrook Fair.
Regular breweries that will be at the event include Cotton End, Frog Island, Gun Dog Ales, Hart Family Brewers, Merrimen, Nobby’s. Guest Brewers this year will be The Revolutions Brewing Company from Castleford, West Yorkshire.
For more information visit Northampton County Beer Festival at Becket’s Park on Facebook.
