Video: (Holy) orders, please! It’s a beer festival in a church

The Hull Real Ale and Cider Festival got under way at Holy Trinity Church yesterday, which organisers hope will now become its new home.

The event, organised by the Campaign for Real Ale, has been held at a range of venues since being launched in 1978.

And while real ale enthusiasts say the cool and airy surroundings are perfect for keeping beer, Pioneer Minister the Rev Matt Woodcock said the festival fitted well within his aims of placing the church at the heart of the community.

He said: “People are often so scared these days of coming into church; hopefully having two thousand people over three days is going to break down some barriers.

“Not everybody wanted it and I really want to thank the members of the church because it’s a big thing for them to agree to it and that takes great courage, but overwhelmingly it’s been well supported.”

He added: “I think Jesus was all about people engaging in their everyday lives and wasn’t someone who would have expected people to come into some big holy moment.

“He went out to them, he went where the people were, he was constantly at parties, he was at weddings, and I absolutely believe he would have been here with a glass of real ale in his hand, talking to people about what really matters in life.”

About 5,500 pints are expected to be consumed at the festival, which features a bewildering array of real ales, perries, ciders and continental bottled beers. There is even one brewed specially for this year’s event – Holy Trinity, by Yorkshire Brewing Company – a very palatable medium strength beer.

Kevin Dalton, 60, a civil servant from Beverley, who was sampling a pint of Sledgehammer Stout – the strongest available at 7.4 per cent – said: “It’s very interesting, it’s a nice place to visit.”