English whisky has been with us in its modern form since 2009. That’s a blip in terms of the history of distilling but plenty of time for both quality and variety to take root. 2024 has swept in to prove this point and we now have an English whisky winning the world’s best single malt. 

Croydon Whisky Festival isn’t strictly an English whisky festival but English distilleries dominate the listings. This is likely because the organiser is Exploring English Whisky, a group dedicated to promoting English product. This means that if you want to try a solid English selection without travelling to their dedicated festival in Birmingham then Croydon is the one for you. 

However, if you somehow had an inexplicable and potentially fatal intolerance to English whisky then you’re not out of luck. As with most small festivals the distributors and bottlers can really flesh out the selection and make it worthwhile for everyone. Croydon had Scotch bottlers and blenders like Compass Box, Woodrow’s, Spirit Filled and Cadenhead plus world distributors Mangrove and N10. Is there enough here for a Scotch purist to savour for an entire day? Just about, but that’s not the point of the show.

Stanley Arts Centre is a turn of the century building that was famed for its cutting edge construction at the time and a made a pleasant background for a festival. The layout was two packed rows of stands spilling up onto the stage at the back. Being a small one day show there’s no time for flair – this is a lo-fi table and roller banner affair and there’s nothing wrong with that. It means exhibitors need to make the little differences count.

In these reviews we always try to call out stands that impressed with their exhibiting. For Croydon Whisky Festival I would call out the N10 Bourbons team for the level of detail they were able to go into about their two ranges on display (Bardstown and Never Say Die). Not just the usual anecdotes but interesting stories that I hadn’t heard before despite being a fan of both. I’d also call out Spirit of Birmingham who were great fun to chat with about their fledgling distillery. Being in that awkward stage waiting for your first whisky is always a challenge but they had rum, gin and vodka to try as a welcome break from all the whiskies. Whilst I’m not someone who commits to Founders Packs / Members Clubs I had to admit their offering was really strong too and included exclusive beers made from their mash.

Stanley Arts Centre really is a venue that’s too small for the burgeoning show it holds and in 2024, Croydon Whisky Festival was hindered by its own success. The day started as a peaceful show but eventually descended into a crowded mess.  With stands spaced so close together some spilled over into each other meaning you’d be talking across each other or stuck waiting to try something without even knowing if you were in the right queue or not. The venue is hindered by its own great design. It’s a performance space with acoustics designed to project sound and as a result is one of the loudest spirit festivals I’ve ever been to. Thankfully there were places to escape to – out back for food stands and cool air or to the light-filled and serene bar along the hall.

The ticket price is higher than other small shows, we paid £38.92 but that was as part of a two ticket discount deal. However, this show has clearly succeeded in its mission to only feature smaller distilleries and bottlers. I always ask the exhibitors what they like about the show and it was made clear Croydon Whisky Festival is one of the most affordable shows in London. There was nothing but praise for the organisers. That’s the balance all these shows have to strike between what’s best for the consumer and what’s going to actually make it a viable marketing opportunity for exhibitors. As you will see with other reviews on here it is all too easy for prices to creep up and the value offered to fall. I have no problem with the price, it is worth it to me, but I am conscious it is not an easy sell to someone who is merely curious.

Happily, the festival is addressing both pricing and crowds in its 2025 offering by splitting the festival into two shorter sessions and reducing the ticket cost for a single 3.5 hour session to £27 if you get in early. By contrast a last minute full day ticket will set you back £70! We’ll see how this pans out but I’m optimistic for the future and look forward to the next iteration. The calibre of product on display was great and the vibe was genuine. If you’re in London, Surrey or West Sussex then this is worth the trip.