Cheers and farewell! Final Henlow Beer Festival to be held this month

After 27 years, multi-award-winning pub landlord Kevin Machin is to stage his final Henlow Beer Festival this October.

Kev, 67, reckons it’s time to call a day on the annual five-day event which features up to 100 different tipples and draws ale-lovers from all over the UK.

He said: “It was with a heavy heart I made the decision, but as the old adage goes ‘all good things must come to an end’.

“We’ve been well supported by the beer community over the years and a lot of good fun has been had.

“A lot of people have visited Henlow from far and wide for the festival – we’ve had visitors from Kent, Manchester, Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire and even Scotland. It’s literally put the village on the map.”

This year’s festival will run from October 19 to October 24 at the Engineers Arms, High Street, with more than 50 real ales already booked.

They include a milk stout from Cornwall, a brown ale from Dorset, a porter from North Yorkshire, and an amber beer from Kev’s home town of Burton upon Trent.

But despite ending the beer festivals, former Derbyshire miner Kev won’t be leaving the Engineers, which over the years has won a string of awards from CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale) as well as being voted “Best Pub in Chronicle Country”.

And Barry Price, secretary of CAMRA’s East Bedfordshire branch, said: “The Engineers is a popular ‘destination’ pub for anybody who appreciates a well-kept pint and a bit of craic.

“The triumph of his beer festivals, for a village pub, equal and sometimes surpass in variety and quality even some of CAMRA’s efforts.”