CAMRA yields to allow live craft keg beer at GBBF

By Nicholas Robinson

- Last updated on GMT

Innovation: CAMRA allows keg beer at GBBF for the first time
Innovation: CAMRA allows keg beer at GBBF for the first time
The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is set to allow live craft keg beer to be sold at its annual Great British Beer Festival for the first time this August.

Live craft keg beers will be featured at the show between 6 and 10 August at London Olympia, the first time this has happened in the organisation’s 42-year history.

Tiny Rebel, Magic Rock, Wild Beer Co and Siren will be some of the breweries taking over part of Olympia’s National Hall and will feature some of their favourite brews, all of which will be served from recyclable KeyKeg containers.

Being able to pour keg beers at the festival was “incredibly exciting”, said Andrew Cooper, co-founder of Wild Beer Co.

“This has offered us and our friends the opportunity to showcase some of our more diverse brews that wouldn't have been possible to bring before,” he added.

‘Celebrating great British beer’

“The festival is about celebrating great British beer, whatever the style or format and we can't wait to share ours with you all.”

Brad Cummings, CEO of Tiny Rebel, said: “We have been working behind the scenes with CAMRA to lead the change to promote some of the best craft breweries that love keg and cask as much as we do.

“This will be the first time consumers can drink at a dedicated UK craft keg bar in the National Hall, giving consumers a much greater choice of beers, in both style and ABV. We love beer in every form and look forward to seeing you there for a pint!”

Meanwhile, founder and CEO of Magic Rock Richard Burhouse said the move showed the festival was “moving with the times”.

“The revival of beer in the UK owes a huge debt to CAMRA and it’s great to see that they’re moving with the times and listening to what modern drinkers want from their beer,” he continued.

“We produce both cask and keg beer but its undeniable that some beer styles such as IPAs and lagers suit cold keg dispense.”

Alongside the craft keg beers will be the international beer hall where 400 beers from various international brewers will be available, including the US, Czech Republic, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain to name a few.

New learning zone

There are also plans to launch a new learning zone at the festival, which will allow attendees to compare samples of beer dispensed in cask as well as keg.

Brewers will also be on hand to talk about the ingredients in their beers, as well as the brewing processes behind them.

“We look forward to rolling out the new KeyKeg takeover at this year’s festival,” said GBBF festival organiser Catherine Tonry.

“While as an organisation we campaign exclusively for real ale, cider and perry, people like me coming to the festival love beer in all forms and types of dispense.

“We want to ensure that everyone feels welcome and has the best festival experience CAMRA can offer,” she added.

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