Real Ale and Cider Festival - Frequently Asked Questions
You can find answers to our most popular questions below.
If your question isn't answered, you can get in touch via email or drop us a note via our social media channels.
What prices will the beers be?
Our range of beers will start from £4.40 – similar prices to local country pubs, rising with the strength of ale or cider.
Can I pay for a drink with a credit or debit card?
Yes! This year we are introducing card machines on all bars, meaning that there is no need to convert your cash into beer tokens.
For anyone who still prefers to pay using cash, you’ll be able to purchase beer tokens at both North Weald and Ongar stations.
Can I get a refund for my beer tokens?
Yes – refunds for unspent beer tokens will be available at both North Weald and Ongar stations.
Can I get a refund for my festival glass?
No, as last year, our festival glasses are not refundable.
Can I drink on the bus?
No – drinking on our bus services is not permitted.
Will you make sure I can get back to Epping?
Yes – the last bus to Epping will connect with the last train from Ongar.
Will I be able to sit down?
We will have picnic benches in place around both North Weald and Ongar stations. Additionally, at North Weald station there will be a carriage parked in Platform 3 next to the LNER Café, to provide additional seating.
Our trains have seats for up to 200 people each – mostly arranged in bays of four around a table. We encourage you to enjoy your drinks on the train as it travels through the fields and forests of Essex!
I’d like a gin and tonic please! Where can I find that?
Our Gin bar will be at Ongar station. First appearing in 2024, we plan to expand the range of gin for 2025 – again featuring a range from Whitley Neill distilled down the Central Line near St Pauls!
Where will the hot food be?
All catering outlets will be at North Weald station, with our regular café bolstered by the BBQ, curries and chillies of Hopleaf.
Can I bring my dog?
Well behaved dogs are welcome to attend – please bear in mind that the event can get quite busy and that trains can make unpredictable noises!
Can I bring my children?
Well behaved children are welcome to attend. Obviously, anyone under the age of 18 must not consume alcohol – if we suspect anyone is buying drinks on behalf of under 18s then we will require that group of people to leave the premises.
How do you cool the beers?
Thanks to our friends at the Campaign for Real Ale, we have access to modern cooling equipment. This is quite different to traditional cellar cooling – each beer in the marquee wears its own fancy jacket, with chilled water circulated around to all casks to keep the temperatures down.
To preserve the flavours, we aim to serve the cask ale at 12-16 degrees Celsius.
Is there a difference between Cask and Craft Beers?
There is no official definition of craft beer, so it can be argued that anything produced by a small (ish) brewer counts as ‘craft’ regardless of the container it is served from.
9 gallon (40 litre) “firkin” casks are the most common traditional containers used, with the beer undergoing a secondary fermentation in the cask once it has left the brewery. This produces lighter bubbles as the CO2 is created by the yeast consuming remaining sugars in the beer.
Our ‘craft’ bar at Ongar uses ‘KeyKeg’ technology. Unlike most keg beer, this avoids adding additional CO2 into the beer itself which can impact additional bitter flavours.