Our Beer Festival
Swindon CAMRA Beer Festival 2021
Unfortunately we have had to cancel the festival for another year. The NHS will be using the venue as a vaccination centre. Please everybody, if you have not already had your jabs, get them now, so we won't have this issue next year.
Swindon Camra Beer Festival 2020
Given the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions and the possibility of local lockdowns in the next few months, we have regretfully decided to cancel this year’s Swindon Beer Festival at the STEAM museum.
Swindon CAMRA Beer Festival 2019
This was the Beer List and this was the Cider List
As you can see you drank us dry!!
Winners at the 2019 beer festival
The Beer of the Festival competition results are:
1st Exmoor - Beast
2nd= Hop Kettle - Old Town Pale Ale
2nd= Hop Kettle - Space Cowboy Milk Stout
The Cider winner is:
Thistly Cross - Whisky Cask
Congratulations to all the winners.
Pictures from the 2018 beer festival
For a short video of the stages of a festival see below:
Beers of the Festival in recent years
| Brewery | Beer | Year |
| - | No beer festival | 2020 |
| Exmoor | Beast | 2019 |
| Hop Kettle | Liquid Highway | 2018 |
| Shed Ales | Minal Tap | 2017 |
| Flying Monk | Birdman | 2016 |
| Rebellion | Old Seadog | 2015 |
| Ramsbury | Belapur IPA | 2014 |
| St Austell | Bucket of Blood | 2013 |
| Ramsbury | Silver Pig Stout | 2012 |
| Ramsbury | 25 Silver Pigs | 2011 |
| Box Steam | Derailed | 2010 |
| Fyne Ales | Avalanche | 2009 |
| Oakham | Bishop's Farewell | 2008 |
| South Hams | Eddystone | 2007 |
| Three Castles | Tanked Up | 2006 |
| Loddon | Russett | 2005 |
| Skinner's | Pennycomequick | 2004 |
| St Peter's | Spiced Lemon & Ginger | 2003 |
| - | No beer festival | 2002 |
Beer Festivals in Swindon
There have been CAMRA organised Beer Festivals in Swindon since 1976. Originally held at the Mechanics Institute in Emlyn Square, the last Beer Festival there was in 1983. The Mechanics Institute was offered to the local Council for £1 in 1984, but they declined to buy it because it was in a poor state, so it was closed and could not be used as a venue again.
Partially as a result of this there were no further Swindon Beer Festivals until 1994. The new venue was the New College, Walcot.
After 5 years at New College the Beer Festival moved to the Territorial Army Drill Hall in Church Place in 2000. Although the Drill Hall was slightly smaller its more central location proved very popular and it was our venue for 2000 and 2001. The Drill Hall was not available in 2002, consequently our Beerex could not take place.
In 2003 we moved to the Old Railway Museum in Faringdon Road, where we held successful Beer Festivals three years running.
In 2006 we took the opportunity to move to STEAM, the Museum of the Great Western Railway, close to the tracks of the mainline. That year was of course Brunel's bicentenary. We have now had several very successful Swindon Beer Festivals at this location.