PREV
Join us once again, on 25 April 2026, for the Blessing of the Barley Queen, celebrating the core ingredient of all great beer and following in the footsteps of the ancients from the Waveney Valley.
This celebration is Grain’s take on the long-forgotten barley blessing, once common along the Waveney Valley, involving a ‘lady mature in years and wisdom’ (Walter Rye), who would bless the growing crops around the time of the spring equinox, calling upon the four elements of earth, fire, air and water, to secure a good growth.
This is a special year when, for the first time, we get a chance to sample the beer brewed from the barley that was blessed at our first Blessing of the Barley Queen, back in 2024. On that occasion, our Barley Queen, together with Rev Chris Hutton, blessed the growing barley beneath the watchful eyes of Alburgh church, whilst in lay in the fields along the St Michael and St Mary ley line. Since then that barley has been harvested by the Bond brothers, malted, milled, and finally turned into beer.
The celebration takes place at the Grain Brewery Taproom, when our new queen will give both barley and beer her blessing. The bar will open at 12, with the parade and blessing to take place at 3pm, followed by merriment to the traditional sounds of the Wicked Hamptons. The Flying Chef will keep us fed whilst the brewery keeps us watered, and after the queen has given the beer her blessing, you too will be able to drink up the flavours of Alburgh.
The Blessing of the Barley Queen 2026
Saturday 25 April 2026
12 until 7
