Celebrating 25 years at award winning pub

b11-1088 Engineers Arms Henlow has won CAMRA's East Anglia Pub of the Year 2011. JE wk 38

Landlord Kevin Machin and his partner Claire Sturgeon. ENGPNL00120110921170808 — b11-1088 Engineers Arms Henlow has won CAMRA's East Anglia Pub of the Year 2011. JE wk 38 Landlord Kevin Machin and his partner Claire Sturgeon. ENGPNL00120110921170808

Kevin has had two traditional wooden barrels specially made so he can cart real ale back from micro-breweries around Britain to serve at a 10-day beer festival to mark his anniversary at the pub in Henlow.

He tracked down a master cooper in West Yorkshire to make the old-style barrels which conta in72 pints of beer.

He said: “They cost me £350 but they are worth every penny. My regulars reckon that beer from the wood will taste even better than normal.”

Former miner Kevin, 59, took over the Engineers’ Arms in 1989. The 10-day beer festival starts next Friday (August 1).

It kicks off with a concert by American soul singer Freddie Lee Peterkin and ends on Saturday August 10 with a pig roast and a live music festival. In between will be a traditional games night with shove ha’penny, quoits, skittles and darts, a disco, and a quiz.

Among the acts at the music festival will be highly-rated singer-songwriter Gareth Icke, son of former Coventry City goalie and TV soccer pundit David Icke.

Also appearing will be Three Chicks and a Guitar, who are regular performers on BBC Three Counties Radio, and folk singer Si Nicholls, from Rugby.