Thurrock Beer & Cider Festival 2026
The dates for this year's festival is 2nd to 6th June2026
Thurrock Beer & Cider Festival 2026 Logo - The BATA Shoe Factory
Links to Beer Cider & Wine List 2026
Throughout the Festival not all beers or ciders will be available during every session.
This year, Thurrock & Brentwood MIND has been selected as our chosen charity for their vital work in supporting mental health & wellbeing. Donations can be made via our just giving page
https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/thurrockbeerandciderfestival26?utm_medium=CA&utm_source=CL
Entertainment
Thursday
The Cockney Cowboy
Friday
Drunk and Hungry
The Targets
Saturday
Mushroom Clown
The Vibe
Give or Take
Each year Thurrock Beer Festival features a different local landmark in our logo — and for 2026 we're proud to showcase the iconic Bata Hotel Built in the 1930s as part of the famous Bata shoe factory development, the hotel was right at the heart of the Bata community in East Tilbury. It provided accommodation and social space for workers and visitors, and remains one of the most recognisable Art Deco-style buildings in the area. A real piece of Thurrock history.
The Bata Hotel, East Tilbury – A Brief History
The Bata Hotel in East Tilbury forms part of one of the most ambitious industrial and social planning projects of the 20th century in the UK. Its origins are closely tied to the arrival of the Bata Shoe Company, a global enterprise founded in what is now the Czech Republic by Tomáš Baťa.
In 1932, Bata established a major manufacturing site on the Thames estuary at East Tilbury. Rather than simply building a factory, the company set out to create a fully planned “company town” based on progressive ideals of welfare, efficiency, and community. This development included not only the factory itself, but also housing, schools, recreational facilities, and social spaces for employees.
The Bata Hotel was constructed during this period as part of that wider vision. Designed in a distinctive modernist/Art Deco style, consistent with the rest of the Bata estate, the building reflected the company’s forward-looking ethos. Its clean lines, functional design, and prominent position made it both a practical facility and an architectural statement.
The hotel served multiple purposes. Primarily, it provided accommodation for visiting executives, business guests, and workers relocating to the area. However, it also functioned as an important social hub within the community. At a time when the concept of employer-supported welfare was still evolving, Bata placed strong emphasis on quality of life. The hotel, along with other facilities such as sports grounds and community halls, played a key role in fostering a sense of identity and cohesion among workers and residents.
Throughout the mid-20th century, as the factory expanded and production increased, the hotel remained closely linked to the success of the Bata operation in East Tilbury. The estate became known for its relatively high standard of living compared to many industrial communities of the time, and the hotel contributed to this reputation as a place of comfort and hospitality.
However, like much of British manufacturing, the Bata factory began to decline in the latter half of the century. Changes in global production, economic pressures, and shifts in industry led to a gradual reduction in operations, culminating in the closure of the East Tilbury factory in 2005.
Following this decline, the role of the Bata Hotel inevitably changed. No longer serving a thriving industrial workforce, the building experienced periods of reduced use and uncertainty. Despite this, it has remained a significant local landmark, valued for both its architectural character and its historical importance.
In recent years, there has been renewed recognition of the Bata estate as a whole. Much of the area, including the factory and associated buildings, has been designated a conservation area, acknowledging its unique place in the history of industrial planning and modernist architecture in Britain. The Bata Hotel stands as a key part of this legacy.
Today, the building endures as a symbol of a bold experiment in industrial community design — representing not just the history of a company, but a wider story about work, society, and place in 20th-century Britain.
Get Noticed at the Thurrock Beer Festival – Sponsor a Keg.
We’re excited to offer local businesses, community groups, and individuals the chance to get involved with this year’s Thurrock Beer and Cider Festival through our popular Keg Sponsorship opportunity.
Contact us for more information
ku.gro.armac.kcorruht@tcatnoC
Phone – 07960 969462
Join CAMRA today https://join.camra.org.uk