13th Harwich & Dovercourt Bay Winter Ale Festival 2014

The festival is over for another year!
Please keep checking back here for news of the 2015 event!

Light beer of the festival was Star's Astral

Dark beer of the festival was Railway Tavern's The 3Cs+2

At the Kingsway Hall, Dovercourt

Wednesday 3th December 17.00 to 23.00 (preview evening)
Thursday 4th December 11.00 to 23.00
Friday 5th December 11.00 to 23.00 (live music in the evening)
Saturday 6th December 11.00 to 23.00 (live music in the evening)
50+ different real ales, cider, perry and continental beers

We're close to putting on another extravaganza of lovely British real ale, craft cider and amazing Belgian brews at the Kingsway Hall in Dovercourt. Our suppliers have been working harder than ever to help us put together another great beer menu for you to ponder over and enjoy - a list that contains something for everyone plus beers you have never sampled before.

Our theme this year is the 100th anniversary of the Harwich Naval Force, as reflected in our logo.

We are a small festival but pride ourselves on a great selection of ales and a warm atmosphere - we look forward to welcoming you!

   

Music

Friday night is for Onions. When we booked the Onion Band for our first ever festival in 2002 they were semi-retired so we like to think that we have played a small part in making them get out there and inflict their infectious "Music To Drink By" style on you at your local. Sorry but we simply had to book them again for 2014 - stripey trousers(*), crash helmet and all.

Saturday night is for Young Claws. Come and see this talented young band before they make it big and we have to move the beer festival to the O2.

(*) Note: the stripey trousers might have been replaced. Come along to find out.

Grub

We've invited the team for the Cafe on the Pier back again to provide tasty pub classics at all sessions. Expect to see the winner of the Sausage Festival on the menu!

Out and About

You'll find a friendly welcome and pretty much all you need at our beer festival but if you're a visitor and would like to explore a little more of the area you'll find plenty of advice is on hand. If you fancy a walk you can take in Victorian Dovercourt, the Cliffs, Beacon Hill and, for the more ambitious, Old Harwich and 3 great real ale pubs - the Hanover Inn, the Alma Inn and the New Bell Inn.

Information for Travellers

The festival is located in the Kingsway Hall in Dovercourt Town Centre. The venue is a large, Victorian Church which dominates the town's skyline. Bus passengers on the 103 and 104 services from Colchester should alight in the Town Centre and walk up Kingsway towards the sea front. Rail passengers should alight at Dovercourt station which is one stop before Harwich Town on the line from Manningtree. Passengers from further away will generally need to change trains at Manningtree although there are some direct services from Colchester and London Liverpool Street.

Resources

Click here to find the venue on OpenStreetMap.

Click here to get a train timetable from Abellio Greater Anglia Anglia.

Can you help spread the word? Please print some posters and put them on your noticeboard!

Last Year's Festival

Last year's festival page is available here.