33rd East Anglian Beer Festival, at St Edmundsbury Cathedral, in Bury St Edmunds, up and running

A town’s beer festival is up and running.

The 33rd East Anglian Beer and Cider Festival kicked off at St Edmundsbury Cathedral today, with more than 200 beers and 70 ciders to choose from.

Having listened to attendees from last year, organisers have reduced admission prices and cut out the booking fee.

Tickets can be purchased online and are the cheapest and quickest way to do so.

Paul Cooper, festival organiser, said: “We’ve got a great team with good support and we’re ready to go.

“We’ve got over 250 volunteers and a fabulous setting – the only beer festival held in a cathedral in the world, we believe.”

This year, as a nod to its hosts, the festival’s showcase bar is called the ‘Ecclesiastical Bar’ featuring 24 drinks with religious connotations, including Bishops Farewell, Vicars Ruin and Canon’s Cassock.

Originally, the festival only featured beers from East Anglia, but it now has products from across the country, including as far as the Orkney Islands.

The event is on until Monday and runs in tandem with the Bury Food and Drink Festival, which will take place on Cornhill on Sunday and Monday.