Scores popped along to a pop-up brewery event in Uckfield

A pop-up beer festival in Uckfield has been heralded a tremendous success and boosted by plans to rejuvenate the town’s redundant signal box into a micro pub and café.

Three Acre Brewery transformed Luxford Field for a Bank Holiday weekend beer garden event which welcomed well over 400 visitors each day as the sun shone, beers flowed and the music played.

“This year’s event was twice as big as our inaugural one last year”, said Three Acre director Chester Broad. “Visitors enjoyed over a thousand litres of beers, both craft brews in keg and traditional real ales from the cask.”

No fewer than ten beers were available across the weekend to provide a Three Acre brewing showcase. Among those enjoyed were some rare ‘special brews’ including the very last casks from this year’s Southern Strong Ale (7%), and Cascade Kveik IPA (5.5%).

Music was by Lovely Stuff, Inner Soul Collective, Riff ‘N Western, and Stuart Bligh - which added to the atmosphere with the bands also helping to pull in the crowds. Collaboration with food vendors saw Greek-inspired street-food from Happy Go Souvlaki plus Road Dogs’ loaded hot dogs.

The popularity of the event, which saw huge community support, was boosted by the plans submitted for the old signal box. “News for our exciting development of the historic railway building certainly fuelled footfall”, added Chester. “So many visitors eagerly asking us for progress updates.”

The brewery, based at nearby Blackboys, is still awaiting a decision from Wealden District Council planners.