York CAMRA getting St Lawrence Church ready for big event

This year, with the Knavesmire staging extra horse racing, the popular event is taking place in St Lawrence Church, Lawrence Street.

York CAMRA spokesman Nick Love says the church, the second biggest in York, will be ‘a fantastic venue’ though smaller than the Knavesmire.

There will be more than 250 beers, ciders, wines and perries, plus craft beers from Europe and the USA. There will also sales of street food.

The festival is running in ‘sessions’ to help manage the attendance, which is expected to be high, with York CAMRA reporting strong sales already.

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Given the reduced capacity compared, would-be visitors are advised to buy advance tickets to avoid disappointment.

The first session on Wednesday afternoon is a trade only session, which Nick adds presents a rare opportunity for the region’s hospitality sector to network with breweries in the area.

New this year, is a festival fringe, involving pubs in the area staging ‘meet the brewer’ events and their own mini beer festivals.

“We have people from 15 countries booked in. It attracts a lot of people. A few years ago, when it was at the Knavesmire, the economic impact was over £1m, so we expect a £500,000-£600,000 injection this year.”

Nick added: “The festival is a real celebration of beer and bringing people together a well.”

Work started on Wednesday in preparing the church and church hall for the event.

Friday was extra busy as it was beer delivery day.

Festival organiser Karl Smith says volunteers were busy erecting the spillage and setting the coolers.

While some have questioned a church location, Camra stages many festivals in churches, bringing them much-needed revenue.

“We are paying a lot of money for the loan of an underused asset,” Nick added.

St Laurence Vicar Adam Romanis said: "We are very happy to be hosting CAMRA's beer and cider festival at St Lawrence. The importance of real ale, local breweries, and friendly pubs to communities across York and the country is something we strongly support at St Lawrence, with our local pub, The Waggon and Horses, playing an intrinsic part in church life.

"Ensuring people could have a good drink appreciated with friends was Christ's first miracle, with the conversion of the water into wine at the wedding in Cana. As a church we warmly welcome those visiting St Lawrence for the first time during the festival and hope all have an enjoyable time."

For details and to book, go to: www.yorkbeerfestival.com