You don’t get to 40 years in beer without a fair few good stories - and a lot of good people behind them. So to mark the occasion, we thought we’d do what feels right… and throw a bit of a party.
Our 40th Birthday Beer Festival is just around the corner - and yes, we’re going all in.
When?
1st – 4th May
Where?
Nethergate Brewery, Long Melford, CO10 9HJ
How much?
Free Entry!
Now, because this is our 40th year, we’ve taken things right back to 1986 - where it all started for us.
Beer-wise… we’re throwing it back. We’re bringing together beers from some of the original independent UK breweries who were around back in 1986 and are still going strong today. A bit of a nod between old friends, and a good excuse to get a lot of very good beer in one place.
There’ll be 45+ real ales pouring in the tent - proper titans of cask, the names that have stood the test of time (and were there 40 years ago), alongside a mix of styles, strengths and profiles to work your way through. We’ve also snuck in a few limited batch Nethergate brews for you to try - consider it ongoing “research”.
Alongside all that, the beer tent will also be pouring our range of Nethergate lagers and ciders, plus a small selection of wines, spirits and softs — so no one’s left short.
We’ve also got our brand new mobile bar joining the party to help keep things moving and if you’re after the full range, the inside taproom will be doing what it always does best.
Music? We’ve got that covered too. Our full schedule can be found below but this time around, we’ve called in some local favourites - Cakehole Mafia, Those Colchester Buskers, and plenty more across the weekend. It’ll be lively, a bit loud in places, and exactly what you want with a pint in hand.
Food-wise… you won’t be going hungry.
We’ve got two to three street food traders each day, bringing flavours from all over. The sort of food that starts as “I’ll just grab something small” and ends up being a full tour of the stalls.
Somewhere amongst all that, we’ve managed to keep the garden space from Easter — plenty of seating, a bit of breathing room, and a nice spot to take it all in (at least until it fills up).
And yes — we were listening after Easter.
We’ve made a few tweaks behind the scenes to hopefully speed things up at the bar and tackle the toilet queues, so in theory, there should be less waiting and more drinking. That’s the plan anyway.
Saturday… we’re going back properly.
We’re talking 1986-themed fancy dress - flares, wigs, film icons, the lot. The louder the better.
And there’s something in it for you too - we’ll share more details soon, but for now: 4 FREE LEESTOCK TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR 4x BEST DRESSED ON SATURDAY! Marks for commitment, creativity and discomfort. Quite the giveaway for digging out an old outfit!
You’ll find all the timings, traders, and who’s on when below - so you can plan your visit (or just turn up and see what happens). There's a few artist sets still to confirm and we will have the full beer list confirmed a few days before the tent swings open so stay tuned!
However you do it, we’d love to see you there - whether it’s for one pint or a full weekend of it - helping us celebrate 40 years of beer, people, community and everything else that’s come with it!
Free to enter. Family-friendly. Dog-friendly. All welcome.
We hope to see you there.
Cheers!
