Inaugural Tunbridge Wells Beer Weekend to take place in September

09-Aug-2018 - Last updated on 09-Aug-2018 at 13:49 GMT

Weekend of fun: a number of Tunbridge Wells pubs will showcase its burgeoning beer scene

Royal Tunbridge Wells is to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Manchester, Leeds and Brighton to host its first ever ‘beer weekend’ this September.

The Kent event will take place between Thursday 13 September and Sunday 16 September, and is being put on by various different pubs in the town to showcase its burgeoning beer scene.

The nine venues taking part in the weekend are: Pig & Porter Brewery, Fuggles Beer Café, the Pantiles Tap, Sankey's, the George, the Ragged Trousers, the Beer Boutique, the Royal Oak and The Bedford.

Packed schedule

“It’s really exciting to have our first beer weekend in Tunbridge Wells,” said Alex Greig, founder of Fuggles Beer Café. “Over the past five years, the local beer scene has evolved dramatically and I think we’ve got a fantastic selection of pubs and beer in the town so to be able to put on an event that highlights this is great.

“I’m really looking forward to all the varied events we’ve got going on across the town and just generally celebrating our local beer scene!”

Among the events taking place as part of the weekend are: talks, tastings, tap takeovers and brewery open days, a homebrew class, beer festival, live music and special food events.

“It’ll be a great chance for people to discover why Tunbridge Wells is quickly becoming the top beer destination in Kent,” added Max Eaglestone, manager of the Beer Boutique bottle shop.

“Each venue will be celebrating beer in a unique way; we’re looking forward to trying some great new stuff and maybe learning a little bit along the way.”

Independent focus

“Beer has always been at the forefront of what we do at Sankey’s,” said Matt Sankey, of Sankey’s public house. “From the really early days we have championed small independent brewers from around the UK and also further afield.  

“We are also huge advocates of independent pubs, bars, restaurants and even beer cafés, so to be able to work with like-minded independent businesses in Tunbridge Wells is an absolute delight. Tunbridge Wells Beer Weekend is a celebration of exactly that and I cannot wait."

The weekend is being run alongside Tunbridge Wells Food Month in association with Tunbridge Wells Together. More information about the event can be found on its website or by visiting its dedicated Facebook page.