Fenland Branch of CAMRA launched the 2024 edition of the Good Beer Guide at the 8 Sail Brewery Bar, Heckington, by presenting owner, Tony Pygott, with their GBG stickers. 8 Sail have been in the GBG every year since 2019 for their consistently excellent quality beers of pale ales, bitters, milds, stouts and porters. All beers are served in 8 Sail's small Victorian styled bar. A new beer on the bar of five handpumps on the day of launch was Green Man, a pale ale of 4.5% ABV, which contained freshly picked English Pilgrim hops from Worcestershire collected by the brewers themselves.

Fenland Branch covers an area from Chapel St Leonards down to Sutton Bridge and is allocated just 30 entries in the GBG so for a pub to make it into the guide is quite an achievement.

The picture shows, L to R, Tony Pygott, brewer Paddy Bauwens, and Mick Pell, Fenland Branch.

Until last year Tony mainly brewed the beers himself, but now Paddy, with experience of brewing in South Africa and the Netherlands, is their head brewer.

The brewery bar is open each day - see their website for details https://www.8sailbrewery.co.uk