The 45th Norwich Beer Festival is celebrating increased attendance and more than £10,000 raised for charity. 

The festival’s charity, Brave Futures, which supports children who have experienced sexual abuse, raised £11,900 thanks to the huge generosity of visitors. 

This achievement was helped by a donation from the World Beer Awards, which supplied beer to the festival’s World Beer Bar, raising more than £4,000 in sales, all of which went to the charity. In addition, T-shirts were donated and sold to visitors by volunteers on the merchandise and charity stands. Festivalgoers also raised more than £900 on behalf of the Royal British Legion poppy appeal.

Starting the week with the judging of regional rounds of the Champion Beer of Britain, the Norwich & District CAMRA-run festival featured hundreds of UK and world beers, ciders and even offered some spooky green ales and beer slushies for the more adventurous.

With hot food, beer safaris hosted by beer sommelier Cheryl Cade, music from The Hot Crumbs, The Macarnos, The Dirigibles, Robin Evans, Felix Simpson and The Collective, visitors to the Halls in October were offered a fun and unique experience.

Festival organiser Craig Harmer said: “None of this can be done without our wonderful volunteering team, which has a wealth of knowledge and expertise. Thank you also to the volunteers of Brave Futures. We’re delighted to hear of the kindness of the attendees which shows what a wonderful experience the festival really is.

“We would also like to thank our fantastic sponsors, First Bus, Woodforde’s brewery, Barsham brewery, Lacons brewery, World Beer Awards, Belgian Monk and Crisp Malt, without whom the festival couldn’t go ahead.”

Attentions are now focussed on plans for 2024 and beyond. Due to critical repairs which have been scheduled to take place in 2024 at the Halls, the festival is looking extremely unlikely to take place in its current form.

While other venues are being considered, the likelihood is that there will be a pubs festival, which will feature local breweries and be an opportunity for regular festivalgoers and volunteers to come together and enjoy the real ale pubs of Norwich and beyond. Dates and details will be announced in 2024.

Norwich CAMRA also runs a series of coach trips, which are open to all, to enjoy the pubs outside the city and these will run throughout the festival, with public transport guidance provided too.