YORK CAMRA’s annual beer festival- it’s fiftieth- is promising to tickle your tastebuds with a drop of something different this year.

While the 1,100 member organisation will still support local brewers, this year’s festival in September will feature ales and ciders from across the UK.

Festival organiser Karl Smith told the Press: “There will be less emphasis on local beers and more of a national bent. There’s a great selection of local beers in the pubs of York, if you want to get people to come to your local beer festival, you have to get something you cannot get at your local pub.”

“But we will still be supporting our Local ales and having the local beer competition,” Karl also said.

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The event is taking place for a second year at St Lawrence’s Church between Wednesday September 18 and Saturday the 21st.

Karl continued: “All permissions and approvals have been granted and the organising team are now planning the details of how to make this beer festival experience the best yet!”. 

There will be over 200 local and national cask and keg beers, ciders and perries, plus wine as well as food from local vendors including Yuzu, Ged Bell pies and Bistro Guy.

This year’s event will start with an exclusive Trade & Sponsors session at 1pm on the Wednesday. CAMRA members get a preview from 3pm, and the Public session starts at 5pm. Opening times on Thursday, Friday and Saturday will be 12noon straight through to 11pm. Customers can buy an early or late session ticket or a day ticket.

Online ticket sales will go on sale at the start of July, with customers urged to buy in advance, especially for the Friday or Saturday.

(Image: pic supplied)

This year we will have attractive souvenir Glasses (Pints and half pint Goblets) for sale at £3 or customers may bring their own glass (if CE marked and lined).

Karl added: “Our much-loved festival achieves its 50th anniversary this year. The very first "Exhibition of Ales” accompanied the CAMRA National AGM at the De Grey Rooms with the launch of the first ever Good Beer Guide in 1974.

“Later venues such as the Assembly Rooms and the Priory Street Centre served us well until the scaled-up years at York Racecourse enjoyed by over 10,000 attendees, and we have now moved to our splendid new home in the atmospheric St. Lawrence Church and grounds.

“We invite all our supporters, old and new, to join us in celebrating this special milestone.”

In the meantime, York CAMRA is seeking sponsors to help it keep beer prices down at the festival. Sponsorship gives exposure to customers plus tickets for the exclusive Wednesday preview day.

To sponsor, contact the Sponsorship Manager at sponsorship@yorkcamra.org.uk

Full details of the festival are at: https://yorkbeerfestival.camra.org.uk/