The planning for ‘Woodfest 2020’ in Twickenham, London is well under way. It is the only beer festival in the country that serves real ale from the wood exclusively.

It will be held at the Winchester Room, Turks Head, 28 Winchester Road, St Margaret’s, TW1 1LF from Thursday 28th to Saturday 30th May 2020. This is now run by Ollie Colombeau, who successfully managed the Star in Belgravia. The ‘Turks Head’ is 3 minutes walk from St Margaret’s railway station.

There will be a barbecue, including vegetarian options, available to buy in the beer garden, as well as the usual SPBW shop, tombola and up to 60 Beers from the Wood! Opening hours are Thursday 3pm – 10pm, Friday 12pm – 10pm and Saturday 12pm – 8pm. Ticket prices have not been decided yet, so keep an eye on this website and social media, as updates will be put on there.

There is the attachment for the Festival flyer and you’re welcome to download it. For any further information, contact festival@spbw.beer.

Public Transport: Nearest train Station: St Margaret’s, 300m away. Nearest Overground/Underground Station: Richmond, 1 mile away. Buses: H37 St Margaret’s Station stop. Buses: 33, 490, H22, R68 & R70 Marble Hill/ Crown Road Stop. We look forward to seeing to seeing you.

Please print this flyer for your workplace and local pubs.

It planned to have a BfTW available on a regular basis on the 1st and 2nd Mondays in the Month at ‘Ye Olde Mitre’, Ely Court, Hatton Garden. This Coincides with regular Campden Hill Branch and NEC meetings.

Noon Horseshoe, 24 Clerkenwell Close, Clerkenwell, EC1R 0AG.

Buffet £10/head. It always includes vegetarian options. Vegans and those with dietary requirements will need to let John know.

Please reserve this by sending cheque payable to SPBW to John Rooth, (see next PiH or email secretary@spbw.beer) or by cash to a member of the NEC. Deadline Monday March 2nd. All are welcome to attend but only pre-payers can participate in the buffet. There will be a couple of pub crawls afterwards

Below are the AGM agenda and the minutes of the 2019 AGM.

The judging of the second Champion Beer of the Wood will be taking place at North Shields today. The judges will be making their selection from beers across the country and deciding which one has most benefited from being served from a wooden barrel. Last year’s champion beer ‘Haymaker’ from Hook Norton brewery is again in the running but with even  more brewers submitting an entry it will be a highly competitive competition. Once again the judges will be led by prominent beer writer and expert Roger Protz

The York branch of SPBW is an active branch that has been at the forefront of developing innovative approaches to introducing people to the delights of Beers from the Wood.

Over the past few months that have teamed up with BISTRO GUY on Gillygate York which is in the shadow of the York City Walls to hold mini beer festivals at which Pizzas are also available.

At each event they have paired some of the best Yorkshires micro brewed beers which are matured in wooden barrels with logfire pizzas.

Included in the line-up have been Elland 1872 Porter CAMRA’s winner the best Beer of Britain 2015 and SIBA North East Winner Keras from Brew York

Details of goods in the shop available online soon.

Enamel badges (SPBW logo or Woodfest)

£5.50 Tie Clips
Ties Windsor purple only   £13.00
T-shirts  £14.00
Sweatshirts    £21.50
Polo Shirts  £19.00
Polo Shirts with pocket  £20.00
Hats Acrylic knitted            £7.50
Baseball Caps (SPBW logo) £10.70
Baseball Caps (WoodFest logo)  £15.20

All prices include post and packing. For colours and sizes please refer to the online shop. Ts, polos and sweatshirts usually come in X, XL and XXL. If you want something smaller or larger, please contact Bill, rather than use the shop. We also have rugby shirts, fleeces, bottle openers, key rings and sew-on badges.

Over the past few years SPBW has been tracking the expansion of beers that are now served from wood.

In the North East, at Whitley Bay, the Dog and Rabbit have a wood Wednesday evening every week where there is a different beer from the wood (bftw). In North Shields the Exchange the location for the second National Woodfest in July 2018 and regularly have a bftw. Many other pubs in that area regularly do bftw and the breweries that have wooden casks include Three Kings, Maxim, Hadrian Border, Wylam, Hexhamshire, Box Social, Dog and Rabbit, Big Lamp, Working Hand, Errant and Credence.

The Yorkshire area has quite a few breweries using wood regularly too York, Brew York, Half Moon, Ossett, Black Sheep, Theakstons, Sam Smiths James and Kirkman, Saltaire, Five Towns, Wishbone and Elland to name but a few.

In the south there are casks at Gipsy Hill, Hook Norton, XT. Further north Leighton buzzard, Phipps and Montys in Wales. In the lakes you have Tarn Hows Brewery who have around 50 wooden casks and a nice bottle shop in Ambleside which also serves beer from the wood.

With regards to where to find BFTW, this is probably best answered by Garry Wiles who is the SPBW Wood Officer.