Herefordshire's largest ever bar in a riverside marquee at Hereford Rowing Club, Greyfriars Avenue, Hereford. HR4 0BE.
Last year over 2,600 people helped to make Herefordshire CAMRA's third Beer & Cider Festival a great success. With its outdoors riverside location and a relaxed atmosphere, it is fast gaining a reputation for being one of the 'must do' beer festivals in the UK. This year we are hoping to make it bigger and better than ever.
Beer on the Wye starts earlier this year: opening to the public at 2.00pm on the Friday with the announcement of the Champion Beer of the Festival, and by 5.30pm the evening music gets into full swing. Saturday afternoon is a relaxing session with light music and other entertainment - always very popular with day-visitors to the city. Saturday night is a bouncing music night from 6.00pm, and finally Sunday is our family-friendly session with activities for smaller adults and a mini-farmers' market
Over 100 draught beers from every corner of the UK will feature on Herefordshire's largest ever bar. From stouts and milds, through bitters to light beers, and even real lagers - there will be something for everyone to try. It is a policy of the festival to minimise the use of beer wholesalers (much of our beer is collected direct from the brewers), and it is held in cold storage until moving overnight to the festival site. The result: great beer, and all guaranteed to be at the optimum serving temperature. Again we will be further expanding our Foreign Beers Bar, with beers of all styles from many European countries - some obscure, others more familiar.
A full list of the beers at the festival will appear on this website 7-10 days before the festival opens. .
As you might expect for an event based in Hereford, we will be showcasing the very best from local producers. Every cider and perry at the festival will come from the county of Herefordshire. There will be over 50 draught ciders and perries, and a number of bottled products - some will be from new producers, as this vibrant sector continues to expand. And not a Pear Cider in sight!
Every year we provide more food and more choice - and yet you demand more! This year we will be repeating the very successful pig roast and griddle this year - with all meat from a farm located less than three miles from the festival site. We will also have vegetarian options, including humus-based dishes, curries and jacket potatoes. For anyone camping on the adjacent campsite during the festival there will be a full breakfast service provided from 9.00am on the Saturday and Sunday morning (bacon butties etc).
| BANDS | ||
| Friday 5.30pm | The Floyd Earl Band | Back by popular demand after their sensational debut at last year's festival |
| Friday 9.00pm | The Rumbajax | Always a sell-out wherever they go, this five-piece set play a moody and magnificent mix of South American and East European-influenced dance music |
| Saturday 1.30pm | TBA | |
| Saturday 5.00pm | TBA | |
| Saturday 8.30pm | Hagglebag | |
| Sunday 1.00pm | TBA | |
Beer on the Wye prides itself on its good music. This year we will again be presenting a great selection of local bands covering a broad range of tastes.
Other entertainment will include a number of interesting and thought-provoking displays, and there will be a number of activities on the River Wye to watch on the Saturday afternoon. Watch this space for more information. We will also be launching a new photo-display exhibition of Herefordshire's greatest country pubs at the festival
We hope families will come along to the most chilled-out day at Beer on the Wye. Entrance is reduced to £1 per person, and well-behaved and accompanied smaller non-drinkers get in for free. Events and interesting activities are being organised for all the family including a bouncy castle, and Morris Men. Banbh Farm Foods will be running their own mini-farmers' market, selling fresh produce from Herefordshire. Soft drinks and crisps will be available along with plenty of seats and tables!
| TIMES & PRICES | |||
| Friday | 4th July | 2.00pm-5.00pm | £3.00 |
| 5.00pm-11.00pm | £4.00 | ||
| Saturday | 5th July | noon-5.00pm | £3.00 |
| 5.00-11.00pm | £4.00 | ||
| Sunday | 6th July | noon-5.00pm | £1.00 |
Discounts: People travelling to this festival by train receive a £1 discount on production of a valid rail ticket issued to Hereford. CAMRA members get half-price entry Friday & Saturday, free Sunday*. Not a member of CAMRA? JOIN CAMRA AT THE FESTIVAL AND GET YOUR ADMISSION REFUNDED!**
*Rail travel discount not valid concurrent with CAMRA members' discount.
**Admission refund not valid concurrent with other membership joining offer promotions at the festival.
Beer on the Wye is to be held at Hereford Rowing Club - postal address: 37, Greyfriars Avenue, HEREFORD. HR4 0BE. Click for Map
Travelling by train: Hereford main line station is only a 15-20 minute walk from the festival site. Direct trains run to Hereford to/from Manchester (2hrs 20m), Crewe (1hr 40m), Holyhead, Chester (1hr 45m) Shrewsbury (50mins), Cardiff (1hr 10m), Newport (50mins), Worcester (45mins), Birmingham New Street (1hr 25mins), Oxford (2hrs), Reading and London Paddington. For train information, including times and fares, please go online at: www.nationalrail.co.uk or ring National Rail Enquiries on 08457 48 49 50. SAVE MONEY TWICE when you travel by train - £1 off admission with valid rail ticket. Ask for a 'Groupsave' ticket where 3 or 4 adults can travel for the price of two (applies on Birmingham and Stourbridge line services only)
Travelling by bus: There are regular bus services linking Hereford with Kington, Leominster, Ledbury, Ross-on-Wye, Bromyard, Abergavenny, Monmouth and Hay-on-Wye. For local bus information please contact Traveline on 0870 608 2 608.
Travelling by car: There is a FREE car park at the festival site, suitable for cars and minibuses. Please follow the signs at the end of Greyfriars Avenue and wait to take instructions from a festival steward. If you are planning to bring a bus or coach to the festival, please let us know and we will make arrangements to brief the driver. For those unlucky enough to drive, you will be please to know that there is tea, coffee and soft drinks available at the festival - including our famous own-recipe delicious fruit punch!
The Festival campsite is on the meadow immediately adjacent the festival marquee. Available for tents, caravans and camper-vans, residentss can make use of the Rowing Club's excellent toilet and washing facilities (including hot showers). There is a also a hot breakfast service provided from 9.00am to approximately 11am on the Saturday and Sunday mornings. ADVANCE BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL and should be made via the Hereford Rowing Club e-mail. CAMRA members who are working at the festival are entitled to free camping for the nights they are working.
For more conventional accommodation based around bricks and mortar, there is a wide range of hotels and guest houses in Hereford and around: country or town, there should be something to suit all budgets. Hereford Tourist Information Office in can help you find a suitable digs on (01432) 268430. or Website
Alternatively, there are two youth hostels in Herefordshire. LEOMINSTER (14 miles) and close-by Leominster railway station; and KINGTON (18 miles) with a regular bus service to/from Hereford (including late into the evening). To stay in a youth hostel you do not need to be a member of the YHA, but you will need to book in advance. The YHA booking number is: 0870 770 6113.
Are you a CAMRA member? If so, can you help at the festival? We still need more help on the Friday and Saturday evenings - especially on the bar. Volunteers will all properly fed and watered at all times, and free camping is available. Please download the volunteer form or contact Tony Smith on 01432 275497 or via e-mail.
Do you need more information? Want a stall at the festival, or want to advertise in the programme? Or just need more information on the festival? If so, please contact Tony Smith on 01432 275497 or via e-mail.