9-11th May 2024
The Biggleswade Beer & Cider Festival is a joint venture between East Bedfordshire CAMRA and the Biggleswade Conservative Club. After a successful first year in 2023, the second festival will run for 3 days from 3pm on Thursday 9th May until last orders on Saturday 11th May 2024. Find out more about our Past Festivals.
The festival will feature local breweries within a 30 miles radius of Biggleswade, including ales from Beds, Herts, and Cambs. We will have around 30 different real ales, and 10 ciders / perries, plus 4 craft beers. We aim for the widest possible range of styles to suit as many tastes as possible including some specials that have been brewed specially for the festival.
The festival is free to attend and open to the public. The festival bar uses a pre-purchase voucher system to buy drinks which will be available in measures of thirds, halves, or pints. Payment vouchers can be purchased on arrival. A refundable deposit is charged for festival glasses.
Tasting Notes
Highlights
- CAMRA managed festival bar with 43 ales, perries, and ciders from around 20 breweries
- Festival ales are all brewed within a 30 mile radius.
- Food available throughout the festival.
- Access to Club’s stunning garden and grounds (weather permitting).
- The Club bar serves a full range of drinks including non-alcoholic beer (we’re thinking about the nominated driver).
- The Club’s Sports and Lounge bars are open for Club members as usual.
- The historic market town of Biggleswade features many excellent pubs and venues to visit while you’re here.
- All volunteers are trained and supervised by CAMRA, fed, and watered.
- Exclusive Biggleswade Beer Festival 2024 glasses (pints and half pints)
Official Festival Charity
The Biggleswade History Society (registered charity 298010) is the official festival charity for 2024. The festival is pleased to support the History Society’s valuable work supporting local conservation projects, publishing historical booklets, and ensuring our town’s history is archived and available for future generations to enjoy. The festival will feature displays of local brewing and pub history and volunteers from the History Society will be on-hand through the event. Can you guess how many pubs Biggleswade had at the peak?
Planning Your Visit
- 5-minute walk (under 0.5 mile) from Biggleswade Railway Station.
- The venue is wheelchair accessible and features an accessible toilet.
- Free parking available (limited spaces – subject to availability).
- Nearby accommodation includes The Crown Hotel, Stratton House Hotel, and Stratton Cottage Guesthouse.
- Children are permitted to enter on the understanding they will be supervised by a parent or guardian at all times.
- For further information see our directions.
Opening Hours
- Thursday 9th May 2024 – from 3pm until 11pm
- Friday 10th May 2024 – from noon until 11pm
- Saturday 11th May 2024 – from noon until 11pm
Please help spread the word and get the latest news by following and sharing our Facebook event.
For further information and enquiries about the 2024 Biggleswade Beer Festival (including volunteering, supply, performance, or sponsorship), please contact [email protected].
Volunteer
We need enthusiastic volunteers to serve behind our bars, sell tokens, and welcome visitors. We also need volunteers to help setup and take down the festival. Making sure our volunteers are well looked after is of paramount importance to the organisers. Volunteering at a CAMRA beer festival can be a rewarding and enjoyable experience. No experience is necessary as full training will be provided. You’ll be fed and watered, and as a memento you’ll also get to keep your exclusive free volunteer polo shirt and a special festival glass. There’s also a volunteer WhatsApp group to keep everyone connected and to answer any questions.
If you are interested in volunteering at the festival, please complete the form here and we’ll be in touch.
In Conclusion
Thanks to the generous donations of attendees the 2024 Biggleswade Beer & Cider Festival raised £580.57 for the Biggleswade History Society.
Attendees voted for the best beers and ciders at the 2024 festival bar in three classes. Congratulations to the winning breweries!
| Class | Brewery | Product |
|---|---|---|
| Real Ale | Xtreme | Christopher ColumbuX |
| Cider & Perry | Potton Press Cider | Heritage |
| Craft Beer | Blacken Sun | Unsung |
Note: CAMRA is an independent, non-party political organisation with no political endorsement.