A highlight of the Cambridge summer calendar (along with Strawberry Fair), the Beer Festival becomes more popular as the years pass. It has moved venues; a while ago it was at the Corn Exchange, then the Cambridge City Football ground and now the giant marquee being put together on Jesus Green over the preceding week is a sign that summer is nearly here.
If the weather is good it is absolutely heaving with people; like the Great Wall Of China the queue to get in on a warm Friday must be clearly visible from space.
So what is the attraction? Well to me the beer range is superb, always very well kept and served and described clearly in the free programme, such as my randomly chosen ‘Elderflower Blonde’ (4%) from Saltaire Brewery which was delicious and fruity. The ritual of glass buying or renting, looking at the hardly ever changing stalls, deciding on which food offering to try or just sticking to the legendary cheese counter, these are all reliable and reassuring. CAMRA members get in free for all sessions and can go in through a separate usually queue-free entrance.
The ‘Cambridge’ branding for the logo and poster is another nice touch; this year it is the 42nd festival so the theme is ’42’ from Douglas Adams’ Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy. In 2011, it was the anniversary of the invention of the jet engine and that was the entertainment…looking at the jet engine and hearing it being switched on for short bursts! There has been music too in the past, but this was not needed as bands just take up space and limit conversation.
This brings me on to another attraction of the festival….simply that I see old friends there that I have not seen all year (since the previous festival). I know of many ex-residents who make a point of returning to the city to visit in beer festival week and also some who have seen the light and been converted to the cause of real ale following a visit to this cathedral of beer.
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