The festival offers opportunities to taste over 85 real ales, along with a range of traditional cider and Belgian beers.
[2] Local brewery Abbey Ales used the event to launch a new beer, Bellringer Maximus.
[3][4] The CAMRA Beer Festival, held for 33 years in Oct in the Pavilion has moved venue and season.
In 2011 the local CAMRA branch found that the hiring conditions imposed by the venue were unacceptable.
Since 2011 some festivals have been held in the traditional venue and calendar slot but these have been commercial ventures not connected with CAMRA in any way.