Farnham’s beloved Beerex festival raised a toast to success this year, as more than 20,000 pints were served and thousands of pounds raised for charity — all powered by an army of volunteers. Last week’s event returned to its spiritual home at the historic Farnham Maltings — a venue steeped in the town’s brewing tradition and community spirit. Beerex organiser Phil Williams hailed the weekend as a major triumph and thanked all the volunteers for their extraordinary efforts. Preparations began early in the week, with staff setting up barrels on Monday to ensure the ale had time to settle perfectly for the weekend rush. Over 250 volunteers worked across 450 shifts, chatting with guests and guiding them through the hundreds of beers on offer.

More than 4,300 tickets were sold across four sessions on Thursday evening, Friday night, Saturday lunch, and Saturday night, with each one buzzing with beer lovers enjoying both the sunshine and drinks. Food trucks lined the Maltings’ outdoor space, adding even more flavour to the festivities.

Among the first to arrive were Beerex regulars Peter and Suzie Brewer, who have been attending since the very first event in 1977. In almost five decades, they have only missed a couple of years when they moved away from Farnham. “We’ve been coming every year we can since the first Beerex,” said Mr Brewer. “It’s a fantastic event — my favourite beer is the Hogs Back Brewery’s Tongham Tea, but there are so many great options, everyone will have a different favourite.”

This year’s surprise hit was Farnham Town Brewery’s Blind Bishop Steps, which was originally scheduled to debut in 2026 but was fast-tracked by brewer Greg Strutton for this year’s event.

It sold out quickly after Farnham town mayor Brodie Mauluka was among the first to try the brew. Cllr Mauluka said: “It is great to see people come together and enjoy beer brewed locally and from other parts of the UK. I have seen people here who I have not spoken to in a long time.