Berwick Food and Beer Festival

2467 Reviews

Star Travel Rating

5/5

Review type

Things to do

Location

Date of travel

2013

Product name

Product country

Product city

Travelled with

Husband

Reasons for trip

Berwick Food and Beer Festival is held every year, usually around the first week in September. It is held in the square of Berwick Barracks.

Berwick Barracks, built in the early 18th century are now an English Heritage property containing superb museums.

The normal entry fee to Berwick Barracks is £4.00, £3.60 for concessions. During the food festival entry to the Barracks and its museums as well as the food and beer festival is just £2, which I think is excellent value for money.

Northumberland has a tremendous amount of small food producers so the stalls were crammed around the perimeter of the barracks square, with tables and chairs in the middle area. The food stalls included artisan bakers, cheeses, preserves, meal from local farms, fish caught just a few miles away, bottled water sourced locally, vegetables grown less than ten miles away, honey and honey products from the local Chain Bridge Honey Farm, eggs, local ice cream, lemonade, even Northumbrian Tea, the list being endless

Local restaurants had take away stalls so a delicious aroma of cooking filled the air. Seating and tables in the central area accommodated people enjoying restaurant meals at a much lower price than charged in the restaurant

A folk band played throughout the festival and some visitors danced to the music!

A ground floor kitchen in the barracks was used for Cookery Demonstrations. Here there were a variety of different types of cookery demonstrations, from local chefs to food producers, such as beef farms showing how to prepare meat to cook and demonstrating recipes for their foods. The local food bank also ran a demonstration showing people how to make a nutritious meal from the usual type of products found in a food box from the food bank. Films were shown on food production and cooking by the Slow Food organisation.

The Beer Festival, housed in tents on a grassy area opposite the barracks had a selection of beers produced in Northern England and The Scottish Borders. Many micro breweries have sprung up in the area and it gave them the opportunity to exhibit their products. Locally produced wines, spirits and liqueur were also available.

A free tour of the Barracks was included. Three main museums are contained within the Barracks. These being The Kings Own Scottish Borderers Museum. The Berwick Borough Museum and The Berwick Gymnasium Art Gallery. For more information on Berwick Barracks Museum I have written a separate review – Berwick Barracks Museum.

Good Car parking is available almost opposite the Barracks in a council car park.

The Berwick Barracks adjoin the medieval town walls which can be walked around. The walk provides an interesting insight into the history of Berwick Upon Tweed and outstanding coastal, river and town views.

Silver Travel Advisor

Join the club

Become a member to receive exclusive benefits

Our community is the heart of Silver Travel Advisor, we love nothing more than sharing ideas, inspiration, hints and tips between us.

Come feel the love on a Princess cruise. You’ll enjoy the MedallionClass experience others simply can’t, and it’s exclusively for everyone. Visit incredible destinations and be involved in the best experiences around each one of them.

Experience more with Princess and connect effortlessly with the world around you, spend time away with loved ones, take a moment for yourself, and fall in love with your holiday of a lifetime, every time.

With over 20 years of experience, Wendy Wu Tours has mastered the art of creating exceptional, fully inclusive tours which showcase the very best of each destination.

Each tour is led by a world-class guide, who will highlight the very best of their homeland, and includes authentic cultural experiences so you are not just seeing the sights, but truly immersing yourself in local life.

Say hello to ease at sea. Ambassador’s purpose is simple: they want to inspire every guest to experience authentic cruising, effortlessly and sustainably. Passionate about protecting our oceans and destinations, their ships comply with the highest industry emission standards and there is no single-use plastic on board.

On your voyage, you will receive the warmest of welcomes from the Ambassador community as you sail upon the friendliest ships afloat.

This is a global co-operative co-owned by local partners using real local experts and guides, which supports local communities, environments and wildlife. It offers travellers quirky places to stay, activity holidays and learning experiences. Not In The Guidebooks gets travellers off the beaten track into local culture with day experiences and longer, immersive adventures.

From wild wellness breaks in Wales to painting in Portugal, sustainable adventures in Mauritius to food safaris in Brazil, this is immersive, exciting travel.

Seabourn’s five intimate ships carry guests to the heart of great cities, exclusive yacht harbours and secluded coves around the world, while two new purpose-built expedition ships will combine exhilarating adventures in remote destinations with the sophisticated amenities of the world’s finest resorts at sea.

From the luxury of all suite accommodations to complimentary fine wines and spirits, and a no tipping policy, Seabourn exemplifies the definition of travelling well.