IF you believe quality is more important than quantity, then next week’s beer festival is the one for you.

Last month’s York Beer and Cider Festival on Knavesmire had around 500 beers from all over the UK and beyond – now a select few are being brought back together in an all-star line up in one of York’s best suburban pubs.

The Fox in Holgate has a four-day festival from Thursday to Sunday and all 12 beers come with the endorsements and acclaim of Knavesmire still ringing in their brewers’ ears.

Landlady Mandy Pegg has selected four LocAle winners and eight SIBA medallists from the various awards categories at the Knavesmire event. The result is a festival line-up of top quality beers covering a wide array of tastes.

So Tonkoko, champion beer in the LocAle judging at Knavesmire, heads the beer list here. That was the coconut-infused milk stout by Brew York in Walmgate, which went down a storm at the Camra event.

Pinewoods Pale Ale from Harrogate Brewery and Tropical Pale Ale from North Brewing, which won their categories in the LocAle awards, should appeal to pale ale drinkers.

Notably stronger is the Baby-Faced Assassin IPA Roosters, a really punchy, hop-heavy beer and the strongest on the list here, with an ABV of 6.1 per cent.

Back at the darker end, Great Newsome Brewery’s Liquorice Lads Stout is a spectacular, rich beer full of flavour, while Rudgate’s Ruby Mild, winner of numerous awards even before last month, is a dark and fruity autumnal classic.

York Press:

The beer is the highlight but there’s also live music, street food and a quiz.

Music is from Beggars Bunce, David Ward Maclean and Flying Donkeys at 6.30pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, followed by an open decks session from 4pm on Sunday.

The quiz is at 9pm on Thursday and there’s food from Street Cleaver from late afternoon each day.

All in all, it has the makings of an excellent festival – and it’s not the only appealing event coming up at The Fox. This has been my own local for the past year, and I’ve seen it increasingly showing what a community pub can be, setting an example many other neighbourhoods must envy and that many pubs could do well to follow.

Two weeks ago it hosted the latest community open day in the garden, with a bouncy castle, brass band and various stands promoting local groups and projects, and now a raft of other events are penciled in for the next few weeks.

From October 28 to 31, there’s a haunted house weekend for all ages, with fancy dress, live music and games; then on November 5 there’s a bonfire in the garden with more live music and food.

Finally, on Sunday, November 27, there’s a vegan feast from 4pm, with an invitation to bring along food to share.

York Press:

These beers will be on at The Fox festival

  • Tonkoko by Brew York - LocAle of the Festival at Knavesmire
  • Ruby Mild by Rudgate - SIBA gold overall and the standard mild & brown ales catgegory
  • Monkey Wrench by Daleside - SIBA silver overall and gold in the stong bitter and pale ales category
  • Blonde by York Brewery - SIBA bronze overall and gold in the standard bitters and pale ales category
  • Special Ale by Black Sheep - SIBA gold in the best bitter and pale ales category
  • Big Horn IPA by Black Sheep - SIBA bronze in the premium bitter & pale ales category
  • Pilot by Cullercoats - SIBA gold in the premium bitters & pale ales category
  • Liquorice Lads Stout by Great Newsome Brewery - SIBA gold in the porters, stouts, old ales, strong milds & strong brown ales category
  • Myricale by Treboom - SIBA gold in the small pack speciality beers category
  • Baby-Faced Assassin by Roosters - LocAle winner in its category and SIBA bronze in the premium strong beers category
  • Tropical Pale Ale by North Brewing - LocAle winner in its category
  • Pinewood Pale Ale by Harrogate - LocAle Winner of its category