Norwich’s beer scene is buzzing. With festivals, bars and more celebrating the drink, it’s safe to say its popularity isn’t going anywhere any time soon. And even more so thanks to the Norwich Craft Beer Festival this May.
Presented by Sir Toby’s Beers (of specialist market stall fame, and owners of continental beer bar Bier Draak), you can expect a fantastic range of beer styles, as well as knowledgeable local and national breweries. From tasters to pints, real ales to IPAs, and everything in between, this is your chance to embrace all things craft beer.
Here, co-owner of Sir Toby’s Beers, Dom Burke, tells us all we need to know about Norwich Craft Beer Festival. Whether you’re a craft beer connoisseur or a relative newbie, what better way to spend the bank holiday weekend?
Sir Toby’s Beers are no strangers to Norwich’s buzzing beer scene
Norwich has had a craft beer festival before. The Norwich Mash Up was the first craft beer festival that we attended ourselves back in 2018 and it was a big inspiration for us.
Norwich is blessed with an incredible independent food and drink scene, and we are proud to be part of it. Sir Toby’s is central to this not only because we are in the city centre on Norwich Market, but because we are a regular meeting spot for those invested in seeing it flourish. We are also a business with a big local focus, buying craft beer almost exclusively from independent breweries.
So, what makes Norwich Craft Beer Festival different is that it brings together indie businesses and its supporters under one roof. The festival will see local brewers, food traders and music acts all together at the much-loved Norwich institution that is The Waterfront.
So why now? As a link between all the brewers and beer lovers, our only regret is that we haven’t done this sooner. We also hope to complement the much-coveted Norwich Beer Festival, which has a focus on real ale and more traditional beer styles that drinkers from Norfolk famously love.
Our Festival is all about pushing the boundaries of beer styles- with everything from super hoppy IPAs to milkshake sour beers. NCBF will be set up slightly differently from Norwich Beer Festival with fewer breweries being enjoyed, however representatives from each brewery will be there on the day to pour and chat away to beer fans.
Our passion for craft beer began when the early wave of New England IPAs started to be brewed by UK breweries. By importing US hops, local breweries could recreate some of the big hitting (and sometimes stronger) American beer styles that were hard to import. Original craft breweries like Beavertown, whose beer is much more accessible these days, were early favourites for us and at the market stall.
Our new-found love for continental beer is a more recent development. Although some of the beers and recipes we are now exploring have existed for centuries, we are enjoying learning as to why these styles are so loved through our most recent venture Bier Draak (on Norwich’s King Street). We are also learning from one of the best: David Jones, Manager of Bier Draak, is well known for his role in organising the beer for the International Beer Tent at the Norwich Beer Festival each year.
Norwich Craft Beer Festival is not just an opportunity to choose between 60+ different beers and ciders, but to interact with those that created them.
Each brewery will be pouring their beers at each session and some of the beers will change from session to session. There are 4 sessions in total, lasting on average 4+ hours with 2 sessions on both the Saturday and Sunday. 20 breweries will have their own bars inside (and outside in the garden) where festival goers can move around each aspect throughout the session. Local DJs and street food are also lined up to take the atmosphere up a notch.
From tasters to pints, real ales to IPAs, this is your chance to try something new!
NCBF is being represented by a nice mix of local breweries and others travelling down exclusively for the occasion.
The craft beer scene is electric in East Anglia, with brewers such as 3 Blind Mice from Ely and Burnt Mill from Stowmarket part of the line-up. Ampersand, Duration and All Day are breweries from Norfolk that are much loved by Sir Toby’s customers and have been giving us their support as we organise the event.
We also have national brewers heading down from Nottingham, Windsor and even as far as Falmouth. Sir Toby’s Beers will also have a selection of beer from much further afield, those who can’t make it on the day. It really is a blend of different people, some who have been brewing for decades and some for only a few years.
Yes, absolutely. The festival is accessible to all drinkers. Pint-able lagers, local real ales and easy drinking session beers will all be available. The Waterfront Bar is also offering artisanal wines and spirits for those who want to attend a fun event but need some persuading when it comes to drinking beer. A local cider company will also be in attendance as well as Sir Toby’s much-loved beer, cider and cocktail slushie machine.
People attending also have the choice of two different types of tickets. You can commit to a VIP ticket (£39 + booking fees) where all of your beer consumption is covered for the session. This will suit those who know they love different craft beers and will be making the most of the offer.
Alternatively, you can purchase entry (£9.90 + booking fees). This is suited towards those who may be a little more novice and wanting to learn without the bigger commitment. Festival goers with those tickets can simply purchase beer tokens in smaller denominations on the day.
No need to panic, the festival will be jam-packed with beer experts working or volunteering, as well as plenty in attendance who know a thing or two about the craft beer world. All the beers and styles will be clearly displayed and the majority of beers will be offered in smaller taster, 1/3- or 1/2-pint measures. So, if something isn’t for you, then you aren’t stuck with a whole pint for hours and hours!
Norwich Craft Beer Festival 2025, presented by Sir Toby’s Beers, is taking place at The Waterfront on Saturday 3 May and Sunday 4 May. You can book tickets here.
