Welcome to the East and Mid Surrey Branch of CAMRA
The East and Mid Surrey branch of CAMRA (formerly the Reigate and Redhill branch) was founded on the 10th August 1975 at the height of the keg revolution. Our inaugural meeting was at the Nutley Hall in Reigate.
We changed our name to become the East and Mid Surrey branch at the 1998 AGM as we thought that described the area we covered better. The boundaries have changed several times, the last time in early 2009. The branch currently stretches over to the Kent border, down to the Sussex Border and across to Alfold.
The main towns in the area are Warlingham, Caterham, Oxted, Lingfield, Horley, Redhill, Reigate, Banstead, Dorking and Cranleigh.
REDHILL BEER FESTIVAL
TBA Oct/Nov 2024
The festival is held at Merstham Village Hall, which is located between Merstham railway station and the bus stop at The Feathers on the A23 (405 bus between Croydon and Redhill), and is less than 150 metres from each.
We aim to have around 65 real ales and 10 ciders on offer along with hot food.
News & Ale Magazine
News & Ale Magazine is the regular CAMRA magazine for beer drinkers in Surrey, Kingston-upon-Thames and the Surrey/Hants borders.
- News & Ale 151 Monday 1 April 2024
- News & Ale 150 Friday 1 December 2023
Pubs and Beer Scoring
A map and guide to the pubs and clubs in our branch area that serve real ale, and how to score your beer when you get there!
WhatPub is CAMRA's online pub guide with details of over 30,000 pubs nationwide and is constantly updated by volunteers from this and every other CAMRA branch.
LocAle is a CAMRA accreditation scheme to promote pubs that sell locally-brewed real ale.
An up to date list of accredited branch pubs is available on our LocAle page.
We also maintain a list of pubs that serve Real Cider and Perry.
CAMRA's Good Beer Guide
Why Not Join CAMRA Today?
Latest Branch News
- Handpump Hijack Campaign
Sunday 7 April 2024
For generations, a handpump on the bar has been a sign of quality. Where cask is well kept, consumers can be sure of a spotless cellar, well-trained bar staff and a commitment to offering the best of UK brewing.
Now, Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company – one of the world’s largest brewery conglomerates – has resorted to misleading consumers by hijacking the handpump to serve its “Fresh Ale” product. CMBC says this is “preserving the beloved hand pull ritual that delivers the traditional theatre of serve that ale is famed for”.
One of the factors that makes cask unique is that it doesn’t leave the brewery as a finished product. Instead, the conditioning that completes the brewing process is done at the pub, and relies on the skills, timing and experience of the staff and licensee.
On the other hand, most beers, including lagers, kegged beers, and "Fresh Ale" are ready to drink when they leave the brewery. These beers have a longer shelf life, and can be easier to serve.
Brewers often make both these types of beer, and CAMRA believes they should market them accordingly, so consumers know what they’re getting. "Fresh Ale" is not a cask beer, and hijacking a handpump to sell it as if it was is unfair and misleading to pub-goers.
So far, CMBC has three beers in their "Fresh Ale" range. They are Wainwright Gold, Wainwright Amber and Hobgoblin IPA. At least one other brewer that has launched a "Fresh Ale" product designed to look like a cask beer at the bar.
CAMRA has written to National Trading Standards and Trading Standards Scotland asking for an investigation into the products, and whether the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations have been breached. It’s hoped that Trading Standards bodies across Great Britain will take coordinated national action to address this misleading practice.
Let us know if you come across "Fresh Ale" in your local via our Contacts and Help page.
- Jack Fairman Beer Tasting
Tuesday 5 March 2024
The next Wetherspoon Beer Festival starts on Wednesday 6th March and runs until Sunday 17th March.
The manager of the Jack Fairman in Horley has kindly offered a small group from the CAMRA East and Mid Surrey branch a free tasting of up to 10 of the festival beers in stock direct from the cask in readiness for the start of the festival the next day.
The tasting will be held at the pub on Tuesday 5th March, from 6.30pm.
Spaces are limited and offered on a ‘first-come, first-served’ basis. If you would like to join us, please email ku.gro.armac.sme@ces.mem to add your name to the list and confirm your attendance. If all places are taken when you reply, we will let you know and should any places become available before the event, we’ll offer them again in the order of replies received.
We will hopefully be allowed to select the first cask to be put on public sale, for us to enjoy immediately after the free tasting has finished. Remember to bring your vouchers!
We also have an ‘X’ (Twitter) account that is updated regularly with all the pub and real ale news from around our branch area.
2024 Awards
PUB OF THE YEAR
Three Horseshoes
CLUB OF THE YEAR
Kingswood Village Club
CIDER PUB OF THE YEAR
Cobbett's
Upcoming Branch Diary Entries
- Branch Meeting Monday 22 April 2024 20:00 Bell Inn
- Cider Pub of the Year Presentation Saturday 27 April 2024 14:00 Cobbett's
- Branch Meeting (date TBC) Monday 13 May 2024 20:00 Kingswood Village Club
- Club of the Year Presentation (date TBC) Monday 13 May 2024 20:00 Kingswood Village Club
- Branch Meeting Monday 17 June 2024 20:00 Three Horseshoes
Local Beer Festivals and Events
- Farnham Beerex Thursday 18 – Saturday 20 April 2024 Maltings, Farnham
- 16th Birthday Party Saturday 20 April 2024 Dorking Brewery
- Ale Festival Friday 3 – Monday 6 May 2024 Cricketers
- Bexley Beer Festival Thursday 9 – Saturday 11 May 2024 Dartfordians Sports Club, Bexley
- Spring Festival Saturday 11 May 2024 Kissingate Brewery, Lower Beeding
- Reigate Tunnel Beer Festival Thursday 16 – Saturday 18 May 2024 Reigate Tunnel