PEOPLE can raise a toast to micro breweries at a new real ale festival, being held for the first time next month.

About 26 small beer brewers in Yorkshire have got behind the first Bedale Beer Festival, to be held in Bedale Park, in the North Yorkshire market town on Sunday, May 26.

David Wall, from Wall’s Brewing Company in Northallerton, helped the  organisers gather together the 30 different ales from the breweries. Local cider will also be on sale.

He said despite the increasing numbers of pubs and large breweries closing, sales of real ale are growing between five and ten per cent every year in the country.

“There’s increasing numbers of small breweries opening up and this is a great chance to showcase quality ales from across the area,” said Mr Wall.

“When I started up in 2011 there were only 800 small breweries in the country. Now there are over 1,000.

“At the same time we opened, another four started in the area, one in Stokesley, one in Aldbrough St John near Richmond and Leeming Bar.

“I think people are drinking real ale because it’s better quality than mass produced beer and has more flavour, plus people are more aware of buying local produce.”

Lucy Black, a member of the committee which organised the event, said: “We’re hoping for good weather. It should be a fantastic day.”

The festival will raise money for local charities including the Great North Air Ambulance.

There will also be family activities, live music and a barbecue. Admission is £2.50 and free for under-16s and the event will run from 11am until 6pm.