Kent’s beer and cider festivals are back this August bank holiday, with pints, live music and tasty food pulling in crowds over the long weekend.
From crisp ciders to hoppy ales, festivalgoers will be spoilt for choice as Kent’s watering holes celebrate the best of local breweries. Here’s where you can find your nearest bank holiday beer festival…
BROGDALE, Faversham
At this year’s Brogdale Cider Festival, visitors can enjoy fruity creations from the likes of Biddenden Cider, the Kent Cider Company, WiseOwl, Turners and Brogdale’s own Craft Cider and Mad Cat Brewery. There will also be street food stalls, live music, tractor-trailer rides and apple juicing classes.
Details: Saturday, August 23 and Sunday, August 24 at Brogdale in Faversham. Book online here.
EAST KENT RAILWAY TRUST, near Dover
Punters can sample 14 different beers, as well as 10 ciders, from independent producers, including Uckfield’s Three Acre Brewery, Broadstairs’ Gadds and Canterbury’s Kentish Pip. There will also be freshly cooked pizza available in the evenings, live music and jam nights, miniature train rides and woodland walks.
Details: Saturday, August 23 to Monday, August 25 at the East Kent Railway Trust in Shepherdswell, near Dover. Pay on the gate.
THE HALFWAY HOUSE, near Tonbridge
This country pub will be setting up a large beer tent to house a whopping 70 real ales and 30 ciders. Visitors can also enjoy wine, spirits and soft drinks, all soaked up by burgers and an outdoor rotisserie and live entertainment from the likes of rock covers band Kinetic, acoustic duo Rosie and Luke, and country group The Rags.
Details: Friday, August 22 to Monday, August 25 at the Halfway House in Brenchley, near Tonbridge. Free entry.
IRON PIER BREWERY, near Gravesend
Iron Pier will have a range of its own beers on offer, alongside guest pints from Yonder, Vault City, Howling Hops, Welbeck Abbey, Dead Brewers Society, and more. On Friday, there will be food available from New York City-themed food truck the Brooklyn Deli and, on Saturday, Amalfi Pizza will be serving up authentic Neapolitan pizzas.
Details: Friday, August 22 to Sunday, August 24 at Iron Pier Brewery in Northfleet, near Gravesend. Free entry.
THE NEW INN, Canterbury
This city freehouse has been named CAMRA’s District Pub of the Year for four years and has cemented its place as a favourite among real ale lovers. Over the weekend, there will be a range of kegs and guest ales on tap, including drinks from Wantsum Brewery in St Nicholas-at-Wade and the Kent Brewery in West Malling.
Details: Friday, August 22 to Monday, August 25 at the New Inn in Canterbury. Free entry.
THE THREE TUNS, near Sittingbourne
Come rain or shine, this beer festival will go ahead over the bank holiday weekend. For its 14th year, there’s a marquee in the garden that will provide shade or shelter, and inside you’ll find a variety of Kentish beer and cider. There will be live music from Beer Pressure, The Zillas, The Chillbillies, Trading Places, Top Guns, and a flyover from the Red Arrows on the Saturday to keep crowds entertained.
Details: Saturday, August 23 to Monday, August 25 at the Three Tuns in Lower Halstow, near Sittingbourne. Free entry.
If that’s not enough, there are two more huge Kent beer festivals to mark on your calendars in the coming weeks. Faversham’s Hop Festival will return to the market town on Saturday, August 30 and Sunday, August 31, while CAMRA’s East Malling Beer and Cider Festival is back at the East Malling Research Centre on Saturday, September 6.
