Three days, fifteen bands, more than twenty hours of live music, up to fifty Hampshire ales, 100 per cent local food menu and a fourteen-piece steel band makes up the second annual Thomas Lord Beer Festival in West Meon on July 18, 19 and 20.
Bands, singers and schools from all over the county will be entertaining visitors at this free family Hampshire Food Festival event.
The Thomas Lord Beer Festival opens on Friday night with acoustic and English folk by Sarah Griffin and band, Mar
cos Dcruze and Four Marks Folk Band.
Saturday opens with Hampshire Youth Orchestra String Quartet, followed by a carnival fiesta of Caribbean music with the Crestwood College 14-piece Steel Band from Eastleigh.
Saturday night's top billing includes local blues band No Through Road, and rock bands The Prime and Hardly Heroes performing original sets.
Joining them will be self-named pub band, the Thomas Lord Old Gits who are made up of local farmers, villagers and customers. 'The Old Gits' made their debut at last year's Thomas Lord Beer Festival and return to the stage by popular demand!
Again, the band has asked for its fee to be donated to Macmillan Cancer Support and there will also be a charity collection on the night.
The event closes on Sunday with an afternoon of jazz from Wyvern College Youth Jazz Band in Fair Oak, Grandpa Spells Jazz and Hot5+1.
The stage will be set in the newly landscaped pub garden, which now features a Jamie Oliver-inspired wood-fired oven, outdoor bar, vegetable patch and a family of free-range chickens. The Thomas Lord now boasts one of the finest pub gardens in the county having undergone extensive renovation over the past two years.
A 100 per cent local food menu will be served throughout the weekend, with a selection of perry, ciders and up to 50 local ales from Bowman Ales, Irvings, Goddards, Hampshire Brewery, Itchen Valley Brewery, Laverstoke Park, Triple FFF, Oakleaf Brewery and Suthwyk Ales.
Camping for the event is available at Brockwood Farm, a ten-minute stroll from the Thomas Lord. There will also be a shuttle-bus making regular pick up's and drop offs at nearby villages and the campsite. Pitches are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment.
David Thomas, Thomas Lord proprietor said: "Our beer festival celebrates Hampshire's local brewers, food producers and live music! I would like to say a big thank you to all the schools and local groups for supporting this special event. It is free, so bring the whole family and make a weekend of it!"
For further information about the Thomas Lord Beer Festival and to book camping contact David Thomas on 01730 829244 or see the website www.thomaslord.co.uk
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