The History of Guernsey Beer Festivals

By Fran Torode-


This is very much my take on the festival history and I apologise if anyone feels left out by not being mentioned by name. I have raided my festival scrapbook archives to bring you this condensed timeline-

I have a few “thank you” messages that need to be said before launching the festival history section..
To Stuart McGuinness who was the motivator behind setting up the festival in the first place, to Steve Westby our Nottingham Cellarman who taught us so much and came over year after year, to our regular family and friends staff that came over every year at their own expense, giving up time to labour unpaid for the festivals, we really could not have done any of them without each and every one of you…and to our travelling fans, the hundreds of overseas festival followers that came to us year after year when we had established the festival.
Special mentions on the local branch have to go to Tim Edwards and family and to Lee and Eileen Bougourd and family.
Finally thanks to the Guernsey drinkers who broke all Camra average drinking estimations year after year….

I hope this jogs some memories, this section will be expanded…
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We thought if Camra nationally could hold a beer festival in a greenhouse (Olympia) in August, we could easily do the same in October. We held the event affiliated to the Guernsey Festival and had some promotion through their programme. The venue was very picturesque and they sold a lot of food. The first venue was a greenhouse complex that had been turned into a tourist attraction.

click here for the early festivals-

 branch photo album