The attractive riverside Maltings in Ely was the venue for the 7th Winter Beer festival. The 1868 building was sympathetically converted to a multi-purpose entertainment and conference centre in the 1980s and is a fine place for a warming winter pint.
Two sides of the crowded main hall were lined with rows of barrels, an agreeable sight. There were tables in side rooms and upstairs, where families were welcome. It was all very easy, buying a bingo type card in the foyer to pay for beer at the bars kept service swift and as always at these festivals the volunteers were knowledgeable and friendly.
There were plenty of heavier seasonal brews for the connoisseur but it was a long day so I stuck to the delights of Calvor’s ‘Lodestar’ (3.8%, “refreshing golden ale”) and local Moonshine Brewery ‘Heavenly Matter’ (4.1%, “golden with a citrus and tropical fruit aroma and taste”).
It is a popular festival, full to capacity during the afternoon, and well worth the train trip up from Cambridge (the station is just five minutes away… and micro-pub The Drayman’s Son is just up the hill….)
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