– What’s On –
Saturday 2nd -Sunday 3 august, 2025
Beer + Oyster Festival
Here are the list of beers for this year:
Our annual festival with over 20 craft beers and real ales, to sample over the weekend. Bram Howard from West Mersea will be shucking 1,500 oysters over the weekend. We will have street food, live music and some new and exciting beer to try! Please call to book a table or book via our website!
Adnams Bitter 3.7% - Rich toffee & biscuit malt sweetness is kept in check by a healthy dosing of English Fuggles – spicy, herbal, and resinous
Adnams Blackshore Stout 4.2% - Named after “the ramshackle” fishing huts off Southwold’s harbour, this is anything but a slapdash selection. A malt bill that delivers notes of coffee, chocolate, and liquorice, plus a medley of English hops to add a touch of hedgerow spice and fruit.
Adnams Ghost Ship 4.5% - First released as a Halloween Special, its popularity for its elderflower and refreshing citrus tones (thanks to its Citra hopping), and spicy rye malt character have left it permanently moored outside Walberswick.
Adnams Double Ghost Ship 5.2% - Ghost ship reimagined as a manila galleon, delivering a broadside to hop fiends with its Citra charged and double dry hopped infusion
Adnams Innovation 6.7% - Brewed back in 2010 to mark the completion of the modernization of the brewery. Wheat & Pale malt forms the back of the beer, where high fermentation temperatures help tease out bubblegum esters. Generous lashings of hops; namely Boadicea, and Styrian Goldings lead the charge with marmalade, nectarine & lime, while US varieties give pine, and grapefruit zest.
Adnams Blanche 5% - An open love letter to Belgian Wheat beers. Spiced with Orange peel, Tonka Bean, and Pink Peppercorn toward the end of the hop boil, which imparts zesty sweet spices, and a pleasing earthy bite.
Burning Sky Plateau 3.5% - Head brewer Mark Tranter is no stranger to bringing out the best of hops more beguiling aromatics in Small Pales after some formative time spent at Dark Star brewery. This rendition focuses on a blend of US & New Zealand varietals.
Burning Sky What Gives? 4.4% - What Gives? Well, this in good measure. Hopped with Chinook, Centennial, Ahtahnum, and Columbus. Expect earthy spices, grapefruit & lime zest with a sweet malt biscuit finish.
Deya Essence 4.5% - New Zealand hopped cask ale, part of an exclusive art led labelling inspired by Matisse. Equally inspired simplification of form that allows the esoteric hopping to stand out.
Golden Best 3.8% - Cara and pale malt form the grist; and hopped in the kettle with Magnum and late hopped with one of Germany’s finest lagering varieties Spalter Select.
Orange Wheat 4.2% - Orange peel lends the distinct aroma, and the addition of wheat adds to the crisp zest on the palate. An appetizing and cleansing quencher. Perfect for climate baked Britain.
Harveys Sussex Bitter 4% - The oldest family-owned brewery in Sussex. Maris Otter and crystal malt barley give a charming copper colour to this beer, and a rewarding taste of chestnut, toffee, and currants – with a firm hop bitterness at the end of each sip, it’ll keep you coming back for more
Oakham JHB - Named after King Charles I’s courtier and duellist of a diminutive stature. Hopped boldly with Mt. Hood & Challenger at a rate of 1.5lbs to a brewers’ barrel. Summery notes of soft fruits, floral undertones, and herbal spicy bitterness to keep you coming back for more.
Oakham Bishop’s Farewell – First brewed in 1996 for Bishop Westwood of Peterborough’s retirement. Hopped with Cascade, showing pine & citrus zest; Maris Otter Barley providing the perfect sweet, nutty biscuit base. You won’t want to part ways
Oakham Green Devil – “The Devil hath power to assume a pleasing shape”. All American hopped with single variety Citra. This beer shifts and evolves showcasing just how much you can get from a single variety. A source of great temptation.
Siren Yu Lu – Brewed with Earl Grey & Lemon zest, Iced Tea has nothing on this. Thirst quenching and acceptable at teatime.
Kernel – Widely regarded as one of UK’s leading craft breweries. Founded in 2009, the team have continued to deliver flavorful beer. Never standing too long on ceremony, the range constantly changes in pursuit of ever-changing hop varieties from the UK and across the world.
Porterhouse Stout –
- “When things go wrong & will not come right,
Though you do the best you can,
When life looks black as the hour of night -
A pint of plain is your only man” - Flann O’ Brien
Thornbridge Jaipur IPA 5.9%- Named after the end destination for IPAs brewed for colonial rule in India, thirst quenching US Varietals are given new life in what was 2005’s tentative IPA revival…the landlords nightcap
Utopian British Pale Ale 4.4% -
Utopia are focused on harnessing and promoting the best of British ingredients; in this case utilizing the stone fruit, citrus laden varieties of Olicana, Godiva, Mystic, & Harlequin. Mimicking the US hop forward style we’ve come to know and love, but distinctly British
Schneiderweisse Original 5.4%
The “Rolls-Royce” of German wheat beers. Aromas of bananas and cloves and fabulous effervescence make this the ultimate picnic beer. Prost!
Fruh Kolsch 4.8% - The definitive Kolsch – a subtle hybrid of ale fruitiness and round clean lager sophistication. Pale gold in colour with a good lasting head and persistent effervescence, the hoppy, dry finish is intensely appetizing with a touch of mineral dryness and noble hop aromas
De Koninck Bolleke – The definitive taste of Antwerp without any cycling…perfect! Speciality Belgian Malts bring rich stewed fruit, toffee and a creamy finish, while Saaz hops keep things from getting too sweet by giving a peppery snappy bitterness.
Ayinger Pils 5% - A Bavarian Pils hopped with Hallertau’s noblest varieties. Ayinger are keen to remind us that it was a Bavarian brewer that perfected the style, and after tasting it you’ll understand why.
Budweiser Budvar - A ninety-day lagering period confers a special roundness and complexity on this classic. Whole native Saaz hops deliver fine noble hop aromas and smooth bitterness.
Christmas 2025 At The Anchor
Open Mic Night - 27th December
Christmas Quiz - 29th December
New Years Eve: 31st December 2025
5:30 Family Sitting - A whole roast chicken between the family…. with all the trimmings! Followed by a small firework display
7.30 - A La Carte menu, 2 or 3 course menu, Dancing and fireworks. Booking essential!
Richard Haward’s Oysters, a family-run business, harvesting West Mersea Oysters, in the River Blackwater since 1769. Famous for their clean, briny flavour and regional prestige. Bram Howard will be coming to shuck oysters to order!
As well as our inhouse events program we can help you in create your own funtion to host at the anchor