The theme this year is Town and Gown, as we help the University of Cambridge to celebrate its 800th anniversary and Caskman is suitably attired for the occasion. The charity of the Festival will be the Next Steps project which is run by Speaking Up, a charity who support and empower people with learning difficulties and mental ill health. The Next Steps project supports people with learning difficulties to find a voice, learn life skills and get the life they want and have been doing this since 2002. Next Steps won the National Training Award in 2005 and the Community Care Award in 2006 for Learning Difficulty Category. They work with people in Cambridgeshire, Newmarket and Peterborough.

The Festival will boast over 200 different real ales and 100 plus ciders and perries. With over 35 years campaigning for real ale, the Festival is probably more important now than ever before because it offers local people the chance to taste a wide variety of real ales from up and down the country that are rarely on sale in this region. There are a few changes to our layout this year with our famous Cambridgeshire Bar and East Anglian Bar disappearing in favour of the A to Z range of beers. This should make choosing and finding beers easier but the emphasis will still be on promoting Cambridgeshire and East Anglian breweries with both Elgoods and Woodforde's having a dedicated bar to promote their beers.

The emphasis on East Anglian beers will allow us to do two things this year. Firstly, as said earlier, it will allow us to continue to promote local beers and indeed the branch will be launching its LocAle campaign at the Festival. Secondly, by buying locally, we are helping to reduce our carbon footprint on the region and this year we will be introducing more recycling facilities to dispose of our waste.

Run entirely by unpaid volunteers, the festival is one of the largest in the country and also boasts one of the best British cheese counters in the UK (a list can be found on our website a week before we open). Family day is Saturday 23rd May with bouncy castles and entertainment for the children. To find out more or to volunteer, please visit our website at www.cambridgebeerfestival.com

Opening:
Monday 18th May 5.00pm to 10.30pm
Tuesday to Friday 12.00pm to 3.00pm and 5.00pm to 10.30pm
Saturday 12.00pm to 10.30pm

Entrance:
£3.50 after 5.00pm for non CAMRA members
£2.50 all day Saturday

CAMRA members carrying a valid card free entrance at all times