Hundreds descend on Bury St Edmunds’ Constitutional Club, in Guildhall Street, for Winter Beer Festival

Hundreds of revellers descended on Bury St Edmunds’ Constitutional Club for the fourth annual Winter Beer Festival at the weekend.

Festivities kicked off at the Guildhall Street venue at 3pm on Friday, running until 11.30pm that night before starting again at 12pm on Saturday until 10.30pm.

It featured more than 25 ales from around the Eastern region, with a focus on winter ale, and a selection of farmhouse ciders.

Neil Rayson, festival organiser, said there was also a stronger craft beer offering this year in line with the times, while it also appeared younger generations were taking to New England IPAs.

He said: “It was good and a success. We had a nice relaxed atmosphere with some music in the background so people could enjoy the beer and get talking to other CAMRA members and just the enjoyment of it.

“We increased our range of craft beers this year, including Burnt Mill and Radio City, and hopefully people will take away a new found knowledge of beer.”

Neil added the event was a chance to showcase products that are not as widely featured in mainstream pubs and venues and to introduce customers to lesser know regional breweries.

And while craft beer was, and remains, the new kid on the block, Neil said the festival did not forget the ‘importance and tradition’ of cask ale.

Other breweries featured at the event included Nethergate, Artefact, Beartown, Might Oak, Mr Winters and Woodforde’s.

The event was slightly weather affected on the Saturday and followed the Club’s Craft Beer Festival in September.