Real ale enthusiasts have less than two weeks to enter Hucknall Beer Festival competition to shape final beer list

Real ale enthusiasts have an opportunity to help shape the final beer list at this year's Hucknall Beer Festival.

The festival is just six weeks away and will run from Thursday 28 July until Sunday 31 July, with a special ticket only preview evening on the Thursday to launch the event before opening on Friday at 11am. It is the first Hucknall Beer Festival for two years after the 2021 edition was cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

It is also the very first time the festival has been held in the summer, as the organisers, The John Godber Centre along with Nottingham CAMRA, took an early decision to move it from its usual February slot due to uncertainties over potential Coronavirus restrictions being reintroduced and potentially forcing a cancellation. The festival will return to its customary February slot in the calendar in 2023.

However, the Champion Beer of Nottinghamshire (CBoN) competition which normally takes place within the festival and usually creates a star ale with the winning beer normally one of the first to sell out, will not return until next year's event.

Instead, organisers are looking for festival fans to submit their recommendations of their favourite beers that they want to see at this year's Hucknall Beer Festival.

The winning recommendation will receive a festival prize pack which will include beer tokens for use at the event and their recommended ale will then be added to the festival beer list with the winning recommendation printed in the programme.

Photo courtesy of The John Godber Centre.

To enter fans just need to email [email protected] or message the Hucknall Beer Festival Facebook page stating the brewery and beer they love and think is a must for Hucknall' s beer list and include the reason for their recommendation. (There is a requirement that the ale is available in time for delivery the week of the festival). The deadline for entries is Monday 27 June.

Kim Pears, John Godber Centre Manager said: "We're so fortunate to have some wonderful breweries and cider makers in the Nottinghamshire area and we're looking forward to the return on Hucknall Beer Festival in July and enjoying these across the weekend.

"Ray (Blockley, co-founder of Torkard Cider) has chosen some great ciders from near and far and Andrew (Ludlow, Nottingham CAMRA Branch Secretary), is working on the beer list with some special choices lined up.

"We've hosted the Champion Beer of Nottingham Competition for a few years now at Hucknall Beer Festival and by asking festival fans for their recommendations it helps to enhance the beer list and is a good talking point that festival fans can see if they agree like they do about the CBoN competition. I've got my personal recommendation but there are so many great ales it is difficult to narrow it down."

For more information about the festival, click here.