PubsandBeer
History: Home > East Malling Beer & Cider Festival 2026
East Malling Beer & Cider Festival 2026 (CAMRA Beer Festival)
| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Chislet - Lakes View |  | 1 |
| Hadrian Border - As You Where - Bitter | | 1 |
| Waterworks - URYEnal Bitter |  | 1 |
Visits Details
05 Sep 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
Second visit of the outing: Packed on my early afternoon arrival with some 70 real ales in evidence and my first excursion to this annual event. A good team of volunteers working hard to keep the various impromptu queues down and so did not wait long apart from a slightly longer wait mid-afternoon when the attendance at the festival seemed to be at its peak. The weather made it no doubt even more popular on this late summer’s day with uninterrupted sunshine all the way. Seating to be had at trellis-like tables in a marquee adjacent to the beer tent. What was especially remarkable was the overall quality of the beers sampled as reflecting being fresh on as only a one-day festival and where I often attend beer festivals on their last day. Every beer tried had wonderful head and lacing to give them all the hallmarks of being in good nick.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waterworks - URYEnal Bitter | 3.70 | | 1st beer of the festival: Very good head and lasting lacing on this amber brown-hued best bitter from Rye Waterworks Micropub, in Rye, East Sussex, a converted historical building that once served as a public toilet. This beer’s name is a pun on "urinal" and the town of "Rye". Brewing commenced as a home brew in 2020 before expanding in 2022 to their dedicated six-barrel commercial operation just a short distance up the hill from Rye at The Old Dairy, Rye Road, Playden, where they also run a weekend taproom. A dry hoppy first hit. A bitter hoppiness rising with a faint spicy hint from its earthy, herbal English hops. A lightly malty note winning over and where the inclusion of rye in the mash, alongside standard malts, is serving as a nod to its name and geographic origin of Rye. Its rye giving the beer a crisp pepper-like spiciness and competing with its sweet, bready maltiness giving rise to toasted biscuity flavours. A dry hoppiness bouncing all the way on its downwards journey. Served in top condition. |
| Chislet - Lakes View | 3.90 | | 2nd beer of the festival: Presented with very good head and lasting lacing on this Kentish best bitter from Chislet, near Canterbury, with brewing set up in 2023 by two home-brewers. A spicy hoppy first bite from its local Prima Donna hops from the Deal Hop Farm, a community-run project made up of a patchwork of gardens and community spaces. These hops are blended with East Kent Goldings also from the Deal Hop Farm aiding a moreishly floral hoppiness for me. A dry and slightly malty bitterness rising from being brewed with barley and wheat malts lending flavours of toasted bread and biscuit, alongside a cereal sweetness. Its wheat malt behind enhancing the beer's head retention. A fruited bitterness joining in with zesty marmalade flavours coupled with a hint of citrus. A good wave from its dry bitter hoppiness on its sailing downwards. Served in fine fettle. |
| Hadrian Border - As You Where - Bitter | 4.10 | | 3rd beer of the festival: Showing off a very good head and lacing sticking all the way on this bitter from a 40-barrel plant in Newburn, a suburb roughly 5 miles west of the city centre of Newcastle upon Tyne and set up in 1994. A very dry bitter first hit. A bready and biscuity maltiness rapidly rising from its blend including Maris Otter and barley behind sweet hints of caramel. A hoppy fruitiness joining in aided by its whole-cone English hops also lending a spiciness and a touch of pepper from its yeast. Its likely hops are Fuggles for bittering and behind its earthy, mild woodiness, East Kent Goldings lending a bitterness alongside sweet, honey-like floral touches, and Challenger or Target serving as a further bittering hop. A very dry hoppiness hanging on to the end. Served in top form. |
About the East Malling Beer & Cider Festival 2026
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | - |
| 1 |
| 2 |
 | - |
 | - |
The pub is found in East Malling, Kent, ME19 6BJ.
Located at The East Malling Research Centre on 5th September 2026, 15 minutes' walk from East Malling railway station, plus free hourly shuttle buses from Maidstone East, West Malling and Aylesford stations. 70+ real ales on for this one-day event alongside 35+ ciders and perries in a large marquee in one of the Centre's fields. A live music stage and food vendors kept the large crowd in situ. A good team of CAMRA volunteers aided ready access to the real ale. All beers sampled in very good condition from being fresh on.
We have visited this pub once, seen 3 different beers and tried them all.
Postcode: ME19 6BJ