Jackie Oliver & Co to sponsor this years Beer Festival

A selection of beers from London micro-breweries and a bottled craft cider bar will be among the new highlights of this year’s Towcester Beer Festival.

Organisers are currently putting the finishing touches to the event, which takes place over the first May bank holiday and this year has a new sponsor.

In another first, Towcester Rock Choir will perform live at the festival and the Sunday afternoon will handed over to a jazz session.

Organiser Crispin Slee said: “We want to keep updating the festival and adding new elements to keep it fresh every year.”

The festival will be sponsored by Jackie Oliver & Co, Estate Agents in Towcester. Mr Slee said: “We’re delighted to have their support.”

Andy Tyrer, business manager at Jackie Oliver & Co, said: “‘We are thrilled to be supporting the festival. It’s going to be a great event, raising money for a sports club which is a fantastic asset for the local community. It’s a perfect partnership for us.”

The bottled cider bar will be organised by CiderBods – www.ciderbods.co.uk – the online club for real cider drinkers, and will feature a selection of craft ciders.

As well as beers from London, the beer festival will showcase a number of microbreweries in and around Northamptonshire with 60 real ales in total.

The festival opens at 5pm on Friday May 2 and runs through to 10pm on Sunday May 4. There will be live music throughout the weekend.

The festival is famous for its Ghurka curry, served every year under the watchful eye of Mark Austin, a former Major in the Ghurkas.

It takes place at Towcestrians RFC in Greens Norton Road, Towcester. Entry during the daytime is free. After 7pm, it is £5.

During the weekend, there will be a hog roast, BBQ, rugby, kids entertainment and the annual tug-o-war for the Roy Wilson Cup.

Last year, over 3,000 people attended the event and drank their way through more than 4,000 pints of real ale and 2,000 pints of cider.

For updates, please visit: www.facebook.com/TowcesterBeerFestival

Follow Towcester Beer Festival on Twitter @towsbeerfest. A full list of the beers and ciders will be available in advance of the festival.