Why a Beer Festival?
The idea came out of the Crayke Plan questionnaire sent round in early 2005, which asked villagers how they would like Crayke to be improved – everything from transport to housing to entertainment. The notion of a beer festival attracted immediate support – and has the benefit of being slightly easier to arrange than affordable housing or a rail link! The event also ties in with the annual York Festival of Food and Drink, which attracts thousands of visitors each year to the region. In 2005 the festival organisers are keen to support events outside the city, and also to extend the drinks programme. The Crayke plans, which centre around promoting real ales produced by North Yorkshire’s 20 or so independent and microbreweries, are receiving a high level of support from the York Festival promoters. The Organisers An enthusiastic team has been assembled by carouser-in-chief James Houston to arrange the Beer Festival, including an agreed real ales list, some entertainment, food, advertising
