Regional drinks supplier Lacons has hosted is annual Winter Gathering to mark the launch of St Nick’s, its craft ale brewed specially for the festive season.

Lacons, which is based in Lowestoft and also has a depot a Sawston, near Cambridge, distributes more than 2,000 product lines, including keg and cask beer, wines, spirits and soft drinks, to more than 1,500 trade premises across East Anglia.

This includes a partnership with brewing giant AB InBev from which it acquired the rights to the Lacons name, enabling it to re-establish the Lacons brewing business – originally founded in 1760 but closed in 1968 - in its historic home town of Great Yarmouth in 2013.

The Winter Gathering was attended by around 200 guests who were given a tour of the brewery, before which the Christmas beer was blessed by the Rev Jemma Sander-Heys, team vicar at the Minster Church of St Nicholas.

Lacons director Trevor Hourican then invited guests to raise their glasses to the ale which pays homage to the church, which stands close to the site of the company’s original brewery.

“I spent many years as a barmaid and know how to pull a pint of real ale,” said the Rev Sander-Heys. “The association between the church and ale is an interesting one and has been present for centuries.

“Monks once brewed in the monastery that stood on the site of St Nicholas’ Church so I am thrilled to honour this occasion by blessing this ale which will be savoured by many worshippers at our annual carol service,” she added.