All you need to know about this year's Peterborough Beer Festival

The annual event on The Embankment – one of the biggest in the city’s calendar – takes place from August 23 to 27, and here we have everything you need to know PLUS the chance to win one of five pairs of tickets to the evening of your choice.

The 43rd Peterborough Beer Festival will once again be a showcase for the best real ale, real cider, key keg beer, wine and gin from the UK, all kept in tip-top condition under giant marquees by a team of cellar experts.

In addition to the massive range of drinks, the festival atmosphere will be enhanced with live entertainment every day (see below) and a wide choice of food vendors.

And everyone is well catered for – there will be gluten-free, vegan, low-alcohol and alcohol-free options available across the festival. And for those of you who prefer things a little fruitier, there will be a great selection of British perry,

cider, wine and gin.

BEERS

Around 300 draught real ales will be served, including old favourites, beers from very small micros, many from new breweries, some produced specially for the festival and beers from Peterborough Camra’s LocAle breweries.

The majority of the beers will be served by gravity – straight from the cask in the traditional manner. Back by popular demand, will be the Keykeg bar, introduced for the first time in 2016, with 10 chilled beers pouring from a range of specialised breweries.

Quality is paramount and the aim is to have every beer ready and available from the opening session, but occasionally due to space there may be the occasional beer not available.

As always, you can look forwards to beers of many styles including milds, bitters, porters, stouts, speciality flavoured beers and a few real lagers (check out the beer list ahead of the festival on the website).

GLASSES

Commemorative glasses bearing the festival logo will be available as pint and half pint sleeves. They will be oversized to guarantee that you get a full measure when the glasses are filled to the line. Festival wine glasses and gin glasses will also be available.

There is a deposit for glasses but at the end of your visit you have the choice to return your undamaged glass for a refund or a much better idea…take your glass home as a souvenir of your visit.

If you wish to have a clean glass every time, then return your used glass to the glasses stand for a replacement, otherwise the inside of your glass can be rinsed by the bar staff serving you.

CIDER AND PERRY

The cider bar, as always, will be serving one of the best selections of traditional cider and perry to be found anywhere. This year there will be around 70 varieties.

WINE BAR

The wine bar will be selling traditional country wines, still and sparkling grape wines from English vineyards.

GIN BAR

The Gin Bar will again be at the festival next to the wine bar to satisfy the ever growing demand from gin lovers everywhere. Expect a range of around 50 different and unique gins to sample.

WORLD BEER BAR

The popular world beer bar will be selling an extended range of bottled beers from around the world.

SOFT DRINKS

The Escape Bar will be selling a range of soft drinks, crisps, ice cream, sweets and cigarettes.

Children’s drinks are available for a mere 50p.

FOOD

There will be a wide selection of foods available including burgers, fish and chips, pizza, Cornish pasties, noodles, German sausages, French crepes, hog roast, kebabs, Indian dishes as well as traditional pub snacks like pork pies and Scotch eggs or for those of you with a sweet tooth, seek out the popular sweet stall.

ENTERTAINMENT

Live music has always been a big part of the beerfest and this year there is another stellar line-up across the five days.

Tuesday: Open Mic with Stacey

With the popularity of Open Mic evenings ever increasing in pubs around the Peterborough area, this has now become a regular feature of PBF. On stage from around 7.30pm.

Wednesday: Groove Cartell

Groove Cartell have been performing since 2005 and will be bringing the full 10 piece band to this year’s festival delivering high energy sets of classic and contemporary Funk & Soul. On stage from around 8.30pm.

Thursday: Last Minute Brigade

A four-piece Peterborough band on stage from around 7pm followed by The Expletives with a set jam-packed full of fun and feisty Punk and New Wave classics on stage from around 9pm.

Friday: Palmy Uke Band

The Palmy Uke Band are a collective of likeminded folk who enjoy a pint and a strum. Kicking off the entertainment from 2pm; Division, a well-known, local acoustic duo will be on stage from around 4pm; 23 Reasons – a three piece band playing songs you know and love, but with an acoustic twist on stage from around 7.30pm; Revolver – known for their highly energetic stage performances from around 9.30pm.

Saturday: The Tenters are an indie quartet from Cambridgeshire/Lincolnshire, on stage from 2pm; Salmon Dave

– a Peterborough based duo on stage from 3pm; The Nuggets – a Sixties tribute band playing pop, soul and R&B classics from 4.45pm; Another Girl Another Planet – playing New Wave, Ska, Punk, Rock and Pop -from 7.30pm; Motor City Vipers – an electrifying eight-piece party soul band playing Motown and Northern Soul floor-fillers from the 60s and 70s from 9.30pm.

THE WORKERS

The festival is organised and run by members of CAMRA who are all unpaid volunteers.

CHILDREN

Lunchtime or early evening is the ideal time to bring the family, as there is always an easy going, friendly atmosphere. You can bring the dog (on a lead), your picnic table, food and soft drinks but you must not bring your own alcohol. There will be a fairground at the back of the festival.

OTHER STALLS

On site you will find tombola, pub games, the CAMRA shop, a T-shirt stand and traditional sweets stall.

CAMRA MEMBERS

CAMRA members get reduced entry to the festival for all sessions . There are many other benefits too, including free or reduced entry to more than 160 other beer festivals around the UK. To find out more or to join online, visit www.camra.org.uk/benefits. If you’re not a member you can also join or find out more at our membership and information area or simply have a chat about what they do, ask about beer, pubs, brewing and more.

OPENING TIMES AND PRICES

Tuesday 23rd August

Trade session 3pm,

Public 5.30pm to 11.00pm - £5,

Wednesday 24th August

Noon to 3pm - £2,

3pm to 11.00pm - £5

Thursday 25th August

Noon to 3pm - £2,

3pm to 11.00pm - £6

Friday 26th August

Noon to 3pm - £2,

3pm to 11.30pm - £6

Saturday 27th August

Noon to 3pm -£2,

3pm to 11.30pm - £6

(CAMRA, SPBW & EBCU members Weds-Sat before 3pm-£1, Tues-Sat after 3pm-£3); Pass outs are available after 5pm. No admission or re-admission after 10.30pm. For Further Information see www.pborobeerfest.camra.org.uk or Facebook page www.facebook.com/PeterboroughBeerFestival

COMPETITION

We have five pairs of “Admission Any Evening” tickets to give away – to enter answer this question:

Which brewery has the Festival Cellar team worked with to brew the Festival Special IPA?

(clue – the answer in in the Draught Beer List on the beerfest website). Send answers to [email protected] before noon on August 15. Winners will be notified on that day.