June is a fairly relaxed month for beer festivals in London, before things really take off in July. Start warming up now.
7-8 June: Hampton Beer Festival
Now entering what we think must be its fifth year, the Hampton Beer Festival returns with three four-hour sessions on Friday evening, a 'family-friendly' Saturday afternoon, and Saturday evening. The occasion promises a range of 'mostly local; beers and ciders, priced at just £3 for a pint — see the festival’s Twitter feed for an indication of what will be served.
As with previous years, the festival’s venue is a scout hut near Hampton station. Standard tickets for each session cost £5 in advance. Various other deals including beer tokens and t-shirts are also available.
27-30 June: The Naturist Foundation Jazz & Real Ale Festival
As regular as clockwork, this clothing-optional jazz and beer festival returns to the Naturist Foundation’s 50-acre grounds near Orpington. There’s a strong emphasis on the jazz in the festival’s publicity, with the best part of a dozen musical acts scheduled to perform across four days of entertainment.
However it’s not just about the music, with real ales and ciders (and other drinks) served from two bars, and plenty of other activities included in the ticket price (the Foundation’s facilities include a swimming pool, sauna, petanque, table tennis, volleyball, badminton, and a nice woodland walk). See what we made of the festival when we visited a couple of years ago.
Day tickets cost £16 or £24, or a ticket for all four days can be purchased for £60 in advance, with camping options also available.
Also…
- Leytonstone’s CAMRA-beloved community pub, the North Star, stages a real ale festival featuring 15 ales and three ciders from around the UK, from 20-23 June (evenings only). Discounts are available for card-carrying CAMRA members.
- Catford Bridge Tavern hosts the Catford Beer Festival from 21-23 June. Details are sparse, but last year’s event featured more than 40 beers, ciders and perries, alongside live music and ‘street food’.
- Another CAMRA-approved community pub, the Hope in Carshalton, hosts one of its regular beer festivals from 27-28 June. Keep an eye on the festival’s holding page for details to emerge.
If you’re a lover of beer or pubs, check out our ever-expanding database of the best pubs in London.
