About the festival.
We are a bunch of friends who want to bring the best local beer to you in an historic venue with a friendly atmosphere. Peter and Adam wanted to organise a different kind of beer festival in Folkestone. We approached the Leas Lift because it's a brilliant, unique venue that is quintessentially Folkstonian and asked them if they would be interested. Thankfully they were. With the help of partners Sarah and Emily, self appointed bar manager Ian and assorted friends and family the first Leas Lift Beer Festival took place in February 2011. Due to a huge response from the local community it was more successful than we could have possibly imagined, so we decided to do some more. We organise and run the festival in our own time, we aren't trying to become millionaires, we aren't affiliated with any breweries, we aren't all even members of CAMRA , we are just passionate about beer. We may not be as slick as more established beer festivals (blown fuses anyone?) but we believe our 'homemade' feel is part of our charm. We make a huge effort to reinvest money into the festival to improve it each time. The festival will always be free to enter. We cannot run the festival without your support and genuinely hope you have as much fun visiting as us we have serving you the finest ales Kent has to offer.
Opening Times:
15th - 17th March 2013
Friday 4pm to 11pm with live music and pies.
Saturday 1pm to 11pm Six Nations and pies
Sunday 1pm until the beer and pies run out.
A few other bits of info:
Entry is free. £1 Lift charges apply (CAMRA ride free).
Beer is still £1.65 a half and £3.30 a pint and is operated using a token system. No cash sales at the bar.
Some of our stonger beers will be available in 1/3 pint glasses - at one token per glass.
We have to use plastic 'glasses' for safety but if you wish to bring your own drinking vessel please feel free.
Please DO NOT bring your own alcohol to the festival. You will be asked to leave. You could spoil it for everyone as we could lose our licence.
A 'Pie Lady' will be on hand to service you, should you be feeling peckish.
We have no card facilities and food is cash at the counter.
The road will be closed outside the lift so you will be able to enjoy a beer, safely, in the sunshine!
Toilet facilities will be available all weekend.
The last lift service to the Leas will be approximately 20 mins before time at the bar is called.
Our relationship with the Leas Lift.
The Leas Lift Beer Festival hires the space in the station from The Folkestone Leas Lift CIC. In addition to the hire charges the lift get 10p a pint from the Leas Lift Beer we brew and of course all the lift fares.