SUSSEX BREWERS FESTIVAL BEST BEER IN BRIGHTON AND THE REGION

BEER-LOVERS are in for a treat as a free five-day event celebrating the county’s best brews has been announced.

The Sussex Brewers Festival will bring the area’s finest breweries to Brighton in April.

A wide range of pints of both beer and cider will be waiting for parched passersby, with prices starting at £3.80.

It is being organised by brewers Brighton Bier, who own three pubs in the city.

The company’s head of operations, Stephen Whitehurst, said: “Like all good ideas it started in the pub over a beer with some fellow brewers.

“We were marvelling at the wealth of breweries in Sussex now and started trying to name them all.

“A quick Google search showed we hadn’t scratched the surface and we discovered some producers we, embarrassingly, hadn’t even heard of.

“The beer scene is hugely exciting at the moment and there’s some great beers being produced on our doorsteps.”

The festival will be held across the brewery’s three pubs which are strewn across the Kemp Town and Hanover areas of Brighton.

Bierhaus can be found in Edward Street, Haus On The Hill is in Southover Street and Freehaus is in Howard Road.

Ollie Fisher, the company’s head of pubs, said: “We have the taps, we have the space and we have the love of brewing, so we wanted to bring them all together in one big party - selfishly so we could try them all ourselves and celebrate all that Sussex has to offer.”

Wristbands for the event are now available at these venues for £5.

While the event itself is free to attend, these will give wearers a 20 per cent discount on drinks for the duration of the long weekend, between Thursday, April 9 and Monday, April 13.

In 2017, a report found that Sussex’ beer industry was flourishing, bringing a staggering £40 million to the county.

More than 60 brewers employed hundreds of staff and continue to provide a livelihood to people in the area.

Gary Sillence, head brewer at Brighton Bier, said: “Our ambition is to source and showcase a beer from every registered brewery that is located and brews commercially in East and West Sussex.

“This is an opportunity to champion the great diversity of beers, and ciders, that are being produced in Sussex, and importantly the people brewing them.

“It’s a chance to discover new breweries people may not have heard of, heritage breweries they may have forgotten about and everything in between.”

Some well-known names will be at the Sussex Brewers Festival including Harveys, Dark Star and Burning Sky.

But Mr Sillence said there would be plenty of new tipples for visitors to try, including cask ales and craft beers from the likes of Little Monster, Silver Rocket, UnBarred, Cloak and Dagger, and dozens more.

Brighton Bier will also be strongly represented.

The brewery was founded by Mr Sillence in 2012, originally brewing at the Hand in Hand pub in Kemp Town before establishing a purpose-built 15-barrel brewery in Brighton.

This now produces an eye, and mouth, watering half-a-million pints a year.