Real ale drinkers toast return of Chesterfield CAMRA beer festival

Real ale fans will be cheering the return of a popular festival to Chesterfield town centre.
By Gay Bolton
Published 30th Jan 2023, 16:50 BST
Updated 30th Jan 2023, 17:31 BST

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Chesterfield CAMRA’s Beer Festival will be back at the Winding Wheel this week for the first time since 2020 when the pandemic put a stop to large-scale gatherings.

Hundreds of customers from all over the country are expected to attend the event on Friday, February 3, and Saturday, February 4.

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Jane Lefley, from Chesterfeld CAMRA, said: “We’ve got over 60 beers produced by brewers from Scotland to Norfolk. There will be 26 brewers from within a 25-mile radius of the Winding Wheel and a Thornbridge bar selling four cask beers and four keg beers.”

More than 60 different beers will be available at the Chesterfield CAMRA beer festival in the Winding Wheel on Friday, February 3, and Saturday, February 4.More than 60 different beers will be available at the Chesterfield CAMRA beer festival in the Winding Wheel on Friday, February 3, and Saturday, February 4.
More than 60 different beers will be available at the Chesterfield CAMRA beer festival in the Winding Wheel on Friday, February 3, and Saturday, February 4.

Customers will have the opportunity to sample a rare cask beer, jointly created by the Beer Ink brewery in Lindley, Huddersfield, and the Didko brewery in Ukraine. The brewers have produced just two casks of the Bloody Mary beer, which contains tomatoes and is usually only available in kegs, and one of those is heading for the Chesterfield festival.

Jane said: “We've also got a craft beer bar, gin, wine and Prosecco. There will be free pop for the drivers.”

Chesterfield glam rock band Glitz will entertain the festival crowd with 70s songs on Friday night and Ashover blues/rock outfit Crossroads will do the honours on Saturday evening.

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CAMRA’s last beer festival in 2020 attracted more than 2,000 customers over the two days. Jane said: "The festival is a big event for Chesterfield and it’s good for other businesses in the town centre. People who have attended the morning sessions and are from out of town usually go on to other pubs when we close for an hour at 5pm before the evening sessions.”

The festival runs from 11.30am to 5pm and from 6pm until 11pm on both days.

Admission is by ticket only. Tickets for the lunchtime sessions are £6 and for the evening sessions are £7.50. They are on sale at various outlets including the Arkwright Arms at Sutton cum Duckmanton; Chesterfield Arms, Newbold Road; Rose and Crown, Brampton; Glassworks, Whittington Moor; Pig and Pump, Chesterfield. Book online (booking fee applies) at www.seetickets.com/event/winding-wheel-beer-festival-2023/winding-wheel-camra-/2463121

Related topics:ChesterfieldWinding WheelScotlandNorfolk