Gin Fest In Beverley

If you haven't visited Beverley before it is well worth a visit. It is like a miniature York, Ripon and Northallerton all rolled into one. It is classy and there are only a few empty shops along the high street, maybe due to the fact that the little ginnels, roads and mews type houses spread into the centre.

If you are free today I urge you head over to this lovely market town to the Beverely Gin Festival at the magnificent Minster, one of the country's finest architectural splendours. It was used as a replica of Westminster Abbey for the ITV series Victoria.

It also has one of the best clock chimes and it is well worth stopping to listen to and, for full effect, make sure you are around on the hour. It is not the ubiquitous Westminster Chime but a melody composed to use all ten bells, including Great John, by a former organist John Camidge 1876 to 1939.

The festival organisers have created an annual event that is a slick operation, director Rob Snaith and his team have created a wonderful ambience and elegant event.

There is a lovely designed gin glass - included in the admission cost - that comes with a metal stirrer/straw and once in hand it is time to sit down and look through the booklet to mark up which of the white spirits you want from the extensive list.

Then it is time to enjoy the atmosphere, wander round the breathtaking minster, look out for the gloriously decorated font.

If you feel peckish then try the street food from Billy Bob's which has a fine choice of interesting dishes.

Northern Fox Distillery which is Beverley's only distillery has an excellent selection on offer as does Hooting Owl.

I tried Lyme Bay, which lived up to its description of being beautifully fresh and invigorating and the lovely Caspyn Cornish Dry which I was attracted to because of its earthy notes and infused with fresh English cucumbers. I also tried the Marmalade Old Tom, maybe a little too complex with added Seville orange peel, a little star anise and some liquorice root at the point of distillation. It is then infused with traditional marmalade for two weeks and the ABV brought down to 40% with hand squeezed orange juice.

Bee-Ginning is another one from across the Pennines, distilled in Manchester and a gin the Festival organisers were blown away by due to the imagination in the flavours. There are also champagne varieties.

I love gin but am not too keen on flavoured examples of which again, there were a plethora to try, but it is all subjective as is the music which I will not comment on, except to say, it would have been quite creative to use the organ and perhaps choir early before moving to more contemporary entertainment.

It is on tonight and if you are around give it a go. For more information click here

Cheers!