14th Real Ale & Cider Festival!

Our popular Beer & Cider Festival is back from Thursday, 16^th to Sunday, 19^th October 2025!

A 5-mile long Beer & Cider Festival!

Get the dates in your diary now for 2025 - we saw a huge number of you visit in 2024 and we're ordering an even more broader range of beers and ciders to cope with demand, including those from as far north as the Scottish Highlands, well into Wales, down in Cornwall and Northern Ireland too! Several of the beers and ciders will be doubled up to ensure everyone has a fair chance to enjoy a pint of their choice.

Head to the Spa Valley Railway this October and enjoy 200+ real ales, including 30+ Kent Green Hop Beers, 14+ Keg Beers, 70+ Ciders, live music throughout the event, and food stalls, including the popular Fullers Butcher BBQ and Thai Food stand, are returning for 2025 alongside our steam and heritage diesel trains!

July 2025 News!
So far, 150+ Real Ales have been confirmed from 50 different breweries, with more still to come – we will be doubling up on many popular casks this year, but the aim is to have around 200 different ales for you to enjoy.

Many of the brewers have promised specials for our event, including some keg beers being available in a cask as a one off, wooden barrel aged stouts, special brews just for this event, award winning beers from years before and of course the famous Kent Green Hop beers, only available at this that time of year.

Here is a very small taster...
Expect to see Crouch Vale's "Amarillo", the 2024 CAMRA Beer of Britain, Harvey's Prince of Denmark, Kissingate's award-winning Black Cherry Mild, ales from the Orkney Isles, and Isle of Wight, a rare keg beer produced in cask from Moot Brew, a rare New Zealand Pale from Only With Love plus lots more including the odd wooden cask of stout!

We have also secured at least 27 Green Hops beers from a variety of breweries in Kent, Sussex, and Surrey, with the aim of having over 30. Some of the breweries include Westerham, Madcat, Northdown (with a Green Hop Stout!), Bexley, and Shivering Sands, plus plenty more from Kent and Sussex joining the Green Hop party.

For cider enthusiasts, we have at least 70 different varieties to enjoy this year. Again, many of the more popular ciders will be doubled up; the Sloe Gin cider went quickly last year!

For fans of Keg beers, we'll have 14 on offer for you to enjoy, thanks to Fuggles Beer Cafe and their support of the event.

Music
A huge part of this event is the music. We've a stunning lineup in the pipeline for you with live bands at Tunbridge Wells West and busking at Groombridge and Eridge.

Food
They're back again, Fuller's famous BBQ and the fabulous Thai Food stall will be at Tunbridge Wells West. Along the railway, other food options will be available, including Holly's stunning cakes.

The Trains
We anticipate Bulleid Pacific 34053 'Sir Keith Park', BR Standard 4MT 80078, Caledonian Railway N^o. 828, Class 25 25185, Class 31 31430 'Sister Dora' and Class 33/0 33063 'R.J.Mitchell' working at this event with trains from 09:00 until 23:00 on Friday 17^th and Saurtday 18^th and from 10:00 until 18:00 on Sunday 19^th October.

You won't go thirsty on the trains either, with our bar car 'Kate' and our buffet car both having their bars set up on board.

• Thursday 16th - Tunbridge Wells West only. No trains are operating. Bar open from 18:00 to 22:00
• Friday, 17th, and Saturday, 18th - All stations open with bars. Trains run from 09:00 to 23:00, and bars open from 11:00 until 22:30.
• Sunday - All stations open with bars. Trains from 09:00 to 23:00. Bars open from 11:00 until 18:00.