GREAT BRITISH BEER FESTIVAL – WINTER
CAMRA’s flagship winter event will be held from 12 to 15 February at the Magna Science Adventure Centre in Rotherham. The details of the tutored beer tastings have been announced and further information and tickets are available on the event’s website. A highlight, on 13 February, will be a tasting and conversation, hosted by Roger Protz, with Thornbridge head brewer Rob Lovatt, about the fascinating history of the iconic Burton Union system and a sampling of the beers Thornbridge have brewed with it. Likewise, the details of the entertainment are now available and can be found here. The judging of CAMRA’s Champion Winter Beer of Britain competition will also be held at the festival.
CAMRA YOUNG MEMBERS
On 14 December, CAMRA’s Greater London Young Members section held its Christmas knees up at the Bullfinch Brewery in Herne Hill. The brewery was founded in 2014 and has steadily become an integral, vibrant and welcoming part of the Herne Hill community. On any given day, you’re likely to find seasoned beer drinkers (with an eye for quality) rubbing shoulders with young families, post match Dulwich Hamlet or Crystal Palace supporters, people coming for a post park pint and a sprinkling of discerning locals.

There was a great turnout for this event and a good time was had by all, helped along by the exceptional selection of English and European Christmas beers on offer.
If you’d like to come to any of our monthly Young Member events, please keep your eye on the branch diaries in this magazine, see the Greater London CAMRA Young Members Facebook page, join our WhatsApp group or email youngmembers@sel.camra.org.uk. Looking forward to seeing you in 2025!
Navindh Baburam
SPRING IN THE WINTER
CAMRA’s Kingston & Leatherhead branch has chosen the Spring Grove in Kingston as its winter Pub of the Season. It is a Young’s managed house. The presentation will be made on Thursday 6 February (8pm).

The pub is our cover photo for the printed edition (with thanks to CAMRA’s WhatPub database).
CHAMPION BEER QUIZ NIGHT
On Tuesday 11 March (7.30) CAMRA’s Richmond and Hounslow branch will be holding a beer knowledge quiz. We invite all the other CAMRA branches in the London region to enter one or more teams of up to four people to compete in an annual competition to find the champion beer knowledge branch. The quiz will include questions set by celebrity beer writer Jeff Evans on all things related to beer, brewing and pubs. There will even be a music round featuring the theme tunes from famous beer adverts! The winning team will be awarded an engraved trophy, signed copies of Jeff’s book So You Want to be a Beer Expert and a case of The Naked Ladies, presented by our sponsors Twickenham Fine Ales.
The venue will be the Black Dog Beer House, 17 Albany Road, Brentford. Since it opened in 2018 this free house has been a constant entry in the Good Beer Guide and a is former CAMRA branch pub of the year. It also features in Des de Moor’s top 30 recommendations for London pubs. The pub is usually closed on Tuesdays but is opening especially for our quiz. There will be a selection of beer themed food plus a free pint of beer by Fearless Nomad (or other cask ale) included in the ticket price. The entry fee for the event is £5 per head. Teams will ideally be from branches but other entries may be welcome, subject to numbers. Please register your entry as early as possible by e-mail to social@rh.camra.org or call Bruce Blackman on 07879 412332.
Bruce Blackman
CIDER FESTIVAL ADVANCE NOTICE
It is hoped to stage the London Cider Festival on Saturday 26 April. The venue will be in the Elephant and Castle area.
We hope to have a wide selection of 30 ciders and perries. Full details will appear in the next London Drinker.
Ian White
DRAGON ON THE ROAD
In what is now an annual event, on the opening day of the Pig’s Ear Beer Festival, a party of regulars from the Little Green Dragon in Winchmore Hill walked the seven miles to the venue in Hackney.

Led by intrepid landlord Richard Reeve, a brief photo stop was taken two hours into the walk on the River Lea Navigation towpath outside the iconic Anchor and Hope at Clapton. Unfortunately, the pub was not yet open.
Owen Woodliffe
Editor’s note: as previously reported the LGD was one of four finalists in CAMRA’s National Pub of the Year competition for 2025. Sadly, it did not win but simply to get that far was a wonderful achievement and we offer out congratulations to Richard accordingly.
WINNING BEERS
Back to the Pig’s Ear Beer Festival, the beer of the festival, judged by popular vote, was Kissingate Brewery’s Raisin the Bar, a 14% ABV (yes 14%!) double mashed imperial stout. The brewery is in Lower Beeding, West Sussex RH13 6LU. The runner up was Tankley’s (Sidcup) The Smokey Cat Smiled (4% ABV mild). The cider of the festival was Farmer Jim’s Rootin Tootin with Mill Lane Dry in second place. The winning perry was Mr Whitehead’s Novo Pyrus, with Purbeck’s Katie Perry and Olivers Perry as joint runners up.
The judging for the London & South East regional round of CAMRA’s Champion Beer of Britain (CBoB) in the Speciality Flavoured category was also held at the Pig’s Ear Festival. The Gold went to Siren Craft Brew for Broken Dream stout (6.5% ABV), the Silver to Cerne Abbas Brewery for their Gurt Coconuts Rum Stout (7.2% ABV) and the Bronze to Signature Brew for Nightliner coffee porter (5.7% ABV). Our congratulations also go to the other three brewers on the list: Downton Brewery (Honey Blonde), Kent Brewery (Zingiber) and Kissingate Brewery (Black Cherry Mild).
SAVE THE DATE
The Epping Ongar Railway has pencilled in 25 to 27 July for their 2025 beer festival at North Weald and Ongar stations. If you like your beer on or near a heritage train, make a note now! Plans are still in early stages with much to be confirmed in due course. If you are interested in volunteering this year, please contact elacbranch@mail.com to register your interest.
Alan Perryman