Pints, pulpits and poets are set to make an East Yorkshire brewery’s fifth birthday a Marvell-ous occasion.
Great Newsome Brewery celebrates the major milestone this weekend (19-21 April) at the 2012 Hull Real Ale and Cider Festival in the historic surroundings of Hull’s Holy Trinity Church.
Sixty real ales, 25 real ciders and perries and 20 different bottled beers from some of Yorkshire’s finest breweries will be showcased at the event, run by the Hull and East Yorkshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).
And Great Newsome Brewery, which is sponsoring the festival, will be making its mark with a new beer, named in honour of one of East Yorkshire’s most illustrious sons, poet Andrew Marvell.
Real ale lovers will be able to sample Marvellously Poetic Porter surrounded by Marvell artefacts, including a plaque to Marvell’s father, who was a 17th century ‘lecturer’ at Holy Trinity Church, and a statue to the great man himself in nearby Trinity Square.
Marvell is perhaps most famous as the author of To His Coy Mistress, one of the most popular poems in the English language. Less well known is the fact that he was born in Winestead, a small village 10 miles east of Hull, and home to Great Newsome Brewery since the business opened in 2007.
The company has grown rapidly over the last five years, from a one-man operation working out of the corner of a farm building to a five-strong team that now supplies 21 different core and seasonal beers to pubs, clubs, retailers and restaurants. The winner of numerous awards, the brewery has gained a dedicated following and helped put the Holderness area on the map by naming many of its real ales after local landmarks and sayings, such as Stone Creek and Sleck Dust.
Great Newsome Brewery’s founder and managing director, Matthew Hodgson, said that Hull Real Ale Festival was the ideal setting for the company’s fifth birthday celebrations.
“At the brewery, we’ve always made an effort to keep in touch with the people who have helped to put us where we are ““ our customers. Hull Real Ale Festival has always been close to our hearts and, once again, we’re very proud to sponsor this event, which will be a showcase for the very best beers from across Yorkshire.
“The beautiful setting of Holy Trinity Church should provide a treat both for soul and the taste buds. It’s appropriate for us too since Andrew Marvell, the inspiration for our fifth anniversary beer, Marvellously Poetic Porter, has links both with Holy Trinity Church and our brewery in Winestead. We’re sure our beers and the event will keep real ale lovers coming back for years to come.”
Festival organiser, Stewart Campbell of Hull and East Yorskhire CAMRA, said that Great Newsome Brewery was typical of the innovative small brewing companies that are helping to create such a vibrant real ale scene in Yorkshire.
“We’re very grateful to Matthew and Great Newsome Brewery for all their support since the business started five years ago,” he said. “It’s very important for CAMRA groups to have the support of local breweries. The growth in small local breweries has been a major driving force in developing new and interesting real ales ““ and they have always been a main feature of the Hull festival.
“We’ve been very pleased with the quality of Great Newsome Brewery’s beers over the years and wish the company every success for the future.”