Utopian Brewing Takes Over Devon’s Best Bar for a Nine-Day Oktoberfest

By Dan Smullen

Exeter’s Arcadia bar, named Best Bar in the 2025/2026 Food Drink Devon Awards, is transforming into its own Oktoberfest beer hall this autumn. Sustainability-focused Devon brewery Utopian is taking over the venue for nine days, from September 25 to October 3, with steins, beer flights, Bavarian-inspired food and entertainment built around two new Oktoberfest beers.

The limited-edition brews come from Utopian’s Head Brewer Jeremy Swainson, who trained in Munich. The lineup includes a Fest Marzen, the historic amber-colored Oktoberfest style, alongside a Festbier in the style now more commonly poured at the modern Munich festival. Both beers, and the takeover itself, will be officially opened with a barrel-tapping ceremony led by the Lord Mayor of Exeter, Councillor Gemma Rolstone, and Mid Devon Council chairman Councillor Gordon Czapiewski, on the afternoon of September 25.

Utopian Brewing was founded in 2018 by Richard Archer and brews from a repurposed farm building at Clannaborough Barton near Crediton, using 100 percent British-grown malt and hops. The brewery was recently named one of beer critic Adrian Tierney-Jones’s “British brewing stars,” and took four medals at the 2026 World Beer Awards, including England Country Winner for its Bohemian Lager and Silver for its Alcohol-Free Pilsner. “In the same way that Oktoberfest brings an enviable global attention to the style and highest quality brewing standards in the original beer-land of Bavaria, we’re adopting the German festival ethos, but in a Devonian Utopian Arcadian way,” said Utopian Founder and CEO Richard Archer.

The nine-day program includes a beer and food pairing dinner on opening night, a Meet the Brewer guided tasting with Swainson on September 29 covering five different beer styles alongside light snacks, and a BBQ featuring Bratwurst sausage on the closing Saturday, October 3, followed by an Oktoberfest After-dark DJ set and party.

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Dan smullen, beer EXPERT

Hi, I'm Dan, founder of BeerIsMyLife. I've been an avid homebrewer for over ten years, and beer is my true passion. I've traveled all over the world, visiting breweries, tasting beer, as well as making my own batches. I set up this blog to share that experience with you.

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