The Great British Beer Festival

I love going to beer festivals - especially those local to me in the West Midlands region - so when I heard that CAMRA's countrywide ale extravaganza was making its way to the National Exhibition Centre I'd cleared the date in my calendar months in advance. This my friends is the big one, the Great British Beer Festival 2025...

Nick and I have previously attended CAMRA's National Winter Ales event a fair few times - at Derby’s Roundhouse, Birmingham’s Bingley Hall and Burton Town Hall - but this is something else altogether, on a completely different larger scale. Unsurprisingly given its significance as the campaign's festival flagship , this sprawling showcase mainly used to be held in London (with host venues historically having included Covent Garden, Alexandra Palace and Olympia) but now it's got itself a new home right here in the West Midlands.

Catching the 10:45 Euston train from Wolverhampton, we arrive at Birmingham International circa 11:30. Traversing steps, corridors and weapon detectors, we follow helpful arrows to the allocated exhibition space and quickly get in with our pre-booked tickets. Festival programmes are £2 extra as we scope out the likely layout, most importantly identifying that Stand B11 is the cider stall in Hall 2. The beers are arranged across two vast rooms with food wings, game zones and a central shopping space for all your memorabilia needs. Some of the bars are named after rescued boozers (the Roscoe Head, the Woodman and the Drewe Arms being among them) while the dedicated brewery stands cover Harvey's, Green Duck, Thornbridge and many others. Expectant crowds are gradually massing in the initial foyer area by the Carlton Arms dispenses; hazard tape ropes things off until exactly midday and then the hordes are unleashed, whereby we make a beeline straight for the far corner to grab a table closest to the ciders. Let the drinking commence!

- Poised for Beer -

My first tipple is Egyptian Cream a.k.a. "the beer the pharaohs wish they had invented" - cue much lovely lactose, flaked oats and a velvety mouthfeel. This is a sumptuous Nene Valley Milk Stout as plucked from the Roscoe Head section, served using the purpose-built bank of handpulls installed at each station. Jane and Nick are both adopting a cider and perry remit, availing themselves of Beardspoon Ciderfect and Hogan's Perry respectively. We also have our collective eye on the scratching, crisp and brownie stalls so I doubt we'll be going hungry during our stay. Sweet treats, salty treats and luscious libations - what a combination!

- The Cider and Perry Bar -

Having raided the breweriana boxes for vintage beermats and a 1986 Good Beer Guide back copy, I next seek out Wilde Childe's Brownie Hunter for a satisfying dose of liquid cake; if the tasting notes insist on stating "dessert in a glass" there's no way I'm missing out on that. Nick partakes of the Tutts Clump Rum Cask (very definite hints of rum there) and locates the 22-person table football whereas Miss Woolf goes sweetly Welsh courtesy of the Llanblethian Orchards May Day cider, the programme sparking our curiosity as to what 'chaptalised' might mean. Answer = it's a technical process for adding sugar to increase alcohol yield during the fermentation stages, an act frowned upon in the making of truly traditional real cider and perry which relies on unadulterated natural pressings instead.

- Biddenden Strong -

His Majesty Nick busily scouts out the gourmet crisp stand without buying anything just yet - his amiable technique of circling for free samples is a case study in regal cheekiness - while Appletreewick's Traditional Medium Dry Cider keeps him mostly out of mischief. As if one royal presence isn't enough, I make the acquaintance of the Prince of Denmark courtesy of Harvey's own perch - seriously powerful, this is deep resinous stuff that's intensely dark at a mere 7.5%. That percentage is however dwarfed by the mighty 8.4% of Biddenden's Strong, a cider that both Nick and Jane can't resist from investigating with appropriately appreciative noises as a result. The Woolf is particularly taken with this one!

- Something mildly plummy? -

Eventually Nick does relent and purchase some Wild Duck plummy flavoured snackage to devour, just what you need after the Biddenden's intake. I steadily work my way through an Extra Special Marble (getting the clear tones of marmalade if less of the promised toffee and biscuity elements) and a slurp of Alright Treacle, a sweet stout produced by Ben's Brewery of Lancashire - I'll look out for their concoctions again I think, especially as this one does hit the heights of dark chewy toffee and molasses very nicely. A band performing Status Quo covers is on the main stage, hence Caroline, Paper Plane and Pictures of Matchstick Men are in their pounding set list. The halls are filling up markedly as the afternoon progresses.

- Pig Meets Woolf -

What next? Well it's no humorous matter when Jane deigns to try the Laughing Juice, a Three Saints full-flavoured perry hailing all the way from Monmouthshire - mark that down as another Welsh discovery!! After raiding yet more 12-for-a-quid beermats, I helplessly succumb to the lure of a comedy piggy hat when collecting my half of Iron Pier's Cast Iron Stout; beerwise this tastes very roasted and coallike, my tongue tantalised with acridness. The porky headwear is met with fearful astonishment by my two accomplices who probably dread having to wear it themselves. Nick deliberates profusely before committing to the Ayrshire Riviera Egremont Russet 8.5% cider with its Victorian variety origins. As per his usual festival custom, HRH is intent on concluding his personal haul with an absolute big hitter! 

- The Table Football Maestro -

Despite that powerhouse finale, Nick is still able to show off his table football prowess when beating the combined talents of Jane and myself 6-4. Miss Woolf finishes with Ross on Wye's Suzie's Catch - apparently named after a much loved farm cat - whereas I land on that old favourite Beartown Creme Bearlee for another slice of pudding-ish perfection. We bump into some of the Heart of Warwickshire CAMRA crew (branch leader Julie is a hugging force to be reckoned with), then Beer Festival law always dictates that we must have a go on the tombola before leaving. The Every 1's A Winner approach therefore sees Nick pocketing a t shirt and a pint glass, hence much rearranging of his carrier bag receptacles. Bearing in mind I'm already adorned with pink felt headwear, the volunteer sounds most apologetic in presenting me with another silly hat, this time a St George football cap with dragon tail. This all makes for a most eclectic haul coming back to Wolverhampton, and for festival fun GBBF can't be beat. Cheers!