Bromley CAMRA Beer Festival 2023
Bringing pints, pubs, people together
Looking Back
The Bromley CAMRA Beer Festival took place between 27-29 July 2023. Over 1,500 people enjoyed all that’s best in beer and cider at Beckenham Rugby Club. In past editions the taps had run dry, but festival organisers worked overtime to ensure plenty of choice for everyone across the whole of the festival.
Here are 3 photos from the festival:
| Inside the beer tent | Outside the beer tent | The rugby club terrace |
Our first bit of news is the winner of the Beer of the Festival award:
Tiny Petts Wood Brewery Wins Festival Top Prize
Festival-goers crown Marlix stout best beer at Bromley CAMRA Festival
A local brewery is the winner of Bromley CAMRA’s 2023 Beer of the Festival, overcoming competition from some of the biggest and best names in beer.
The award, voted for by some of the 1,500 festival-goers, means that Marlix, a Petts Wood based brewery, triumphs over some of the most feted names in beer, including Verdant, Cloudwater, Deya and The Kernel.
The winning beer, ‘Where’s The Bloody Vindaloo, Hippy?’, is a chilli chocolate stout. The name, in keeping with all Marlix beers, is drawn from cult 1980s comedy The Young Ones.
Marlix was co-founded just three years ago by two beer loving friends and Bromley-borough residents, Alex Mears and Mark Irwin.
Alex Mears comments: “To be crowned people’s choice is a big honour for our small brewery. We were at the festival, so we know how high the standard was. Bromley CAMRA put on a fabulous range, so to come out ahead of our peers in beers is a massive thrill.”
Mark Irwin comments: “Some of our heroes had beers at this festival, so for ours to come out on top feels like a huge honour. It might have seemed a risk to brew a chilli beer in the height of summer, but this feels like a vindication for ‘Vindaloo’.”
As a nano-brewery, Marlix currently produces less than 100 casks of beer per year.
Marlix beers can be found in the Orpington Liberal Club, One Inn The Wood (Petts Wood), The Cockpit (Chislehurst), Bitter End (Bromley), Craft Beer Rooms (Hayes) and soon to be at the Star & Garter (Bromley)
Anne Claridge, Bromley CAMRA Festival Co-Ordinator, comments: “Our congratulations to Marlix on a truly hot beer! With over 6,500 pints of beer and cider drunk in the three days of the festival it takes something exceptional to stand out. To have a local brewery win the honour also shows how great the beer in Bromley is!”
In addition to beer, Bromley CAMRA also awarded a Cider of the Festival to Hecks for their cider, Port Wine of Glastonbury.
Runners-up were also recognised in beer and cider of the festival. Joint runners-up in Beer of the Festival were Three Hounds, Brewhouse Experiments Batch 006 with Jester King Brett and Southey Brewery, Penge Pride (mosaic IPA). The cider runner-up was William’s Brothers Growler.
