CAMRA’s legendary Canterbury cricket tent will be in operation again this year for the Kent v Middlesex County Championship match from Friday 19 to Monday 22 June. The venue is Kent CCC’s St Lawrence Ground on the Old Dover Road. It is part of their cricket festival week. Here are the things you need to know:
• The tent is for CAMRA members and their guests only; it’s not open to the general public.
• Admission to the CAMRA tent is free. CAMRA members need to show their membership cards and to sign themselves and their guests into the visitors’ book. You may bring as many guests as you like, within reasonable limits!
• It is possible to join CAMRA at the tent and we also offer cricket-tent-only membership at a reduced price.
• You will need to pay to get into the cricket ground (unless you are already a Kent CCC member). See the KCCC website, www.kentcricket.co.uk for admission details. Look under ‘Tickets and Shop’. It could be cheaper to get advance tickets or ticket bundles.
• The tent will be open from 10am each day until after close of play (about 7pm). Play is scheduled to begin at 11am. Keep an eye on cricket news to check that the match hasn’t ended early; County Championship matches do not always last for the full four days. The tent will not open on the fourth day if the match has already ended.
• We have our own private seating at the front of the tent, overlooking the pitch. If all the seats are taken, you are welcome to carry your drinks to other seating areas but please ask us for plastic glasses if you are moving away from the tent.
• We serve cask beer, draught cider, wine, soft drinks, tea and coffee. At our very successful 2025 tent we had 30 different beers and cider from 15 producers, mostly from Kent. We aim to have four beers on at any one time to maintain quality, usually a bitter, a best bitter, a golden ale and a dark ale. As one beer runs out, a new one is put on. This can happen very fast!
• We do not sell food (except for crisps etc) but there are plenty of food outlets on the cricket ground.
• We take cash or card payments. Beer is about £4 to £4.50 a pint.
• Any surplus made is donated to two charities which, this year, are Cancer Research UK and Alzheimer’s Research UK. We welcome donations of beer and cider from brewers and cider producers. Any offers of sponsorship are welcome.
• If you have any further questions, please contact Gill Keay on gillandgerrykeay@btinternet.com or call 01227 463478 or 07976 431886 (text messages are usually best as I never seem to hear the phone). These details are also on https://kent.camra.org.uk/.
Gill Keay