FAMILIES packed out a York pub during its five-day festival of local beers over the holiday weekend.

Fourteen small breweries all based within 25 miles of The Fox in Holgate Road provided the drinks for the event.

Staff set up an outside bar so pubgoers could stay in the sunshine as they collected and drank the 22 different tipples on offer.

While their parents put their taste buds to work, the children made the most of the bouncy castle and other children’s delights in the pub’s garden.

In the evenings, the pub lined up music to keep the festival spirits high.

“It was a great happy family atmosphere,” said Alan Hardie, head and master brewer of Ainsty Ales of Acaster Malbis. “It’s been really busy.”

His brewery provided two ales - their Moloko mild at 3.9 per cent and the Ainsty Angel at 3.7 per cent, both of which proved popular.

He said festivals such as The Fox’s were important for small breweries to get their products and names known.

The event had been such a success he would be delighted to attend if it was repeated.

The good times began on Thursday and continued every day until Monday with all day sessions.

Other breweries that provided beers were Bad Seed and Brass Castle from Malton; Treboom of Shipton-on-Beningbrough; Rudgate of Tockwith; Brown Cow of Barlow; Jolly Sailor from Selby; Great Heck of Goole; Hop Studio from Elvington; Yorkshire Heart from Nun Monkton; Half Moon from Melbourne, East Yorkshire; Roosters of Knaresborough; Bad Co of Dishforth; and Brew York and York Brewery, both of York.