Deep in the heart of south Norfolk, a peculiar custom has been revived – and this year I was thrilled to be a part of it.
What made me eligible to take part – the fact that I may (or may not be) ‘a woman mature in years and wisdom’ – I kid you not!
In celebration of farming
Let’s get one thing straight. Here in Norfolk we’re sitting in what is known as the breadbasket of Britain. Our relatively warm and dry climate, and super fertile soils create the perfect growing conditions for wheat and barley. While the wheat grown here is enough to fuel millions of loaves of bread, the barley has an equally important role, but I’ll come on to that later.
But Norfolk isn’t only known for leading the way when it comes to cereal crops, we grow two-thirds of England’s sugar beet crop, produce millions of eggs every day, grow a third of the country’s potatoes and the chalk reef waters of the north are home to Britain’s sweetest, most succulent crab – the Cromer crab (being from Cromer and having worked on a crab boat, I might be slightly biased!).
So, it’s pretty safe to say that our farmers know how to grow and nurture sensational produce.
Norfolk barley
Barley is grown for all sorts of uses. While the vast majority is used for animal feed, us humans get through, and enjoy, a fair amount too. It’s used to make beer, whisky and malty drinks, and in a more raw state, is found in all sorts of forms, from pearled barley to flour and flakes – think soups, stews and traditional breads.
If we turn our attention back to beer, some of the best brewing barley in the world starts life here in East Anglia and my beloved Norfolk.
And so it was, three years ago, that the brewery in my village, decided to grow, harvest, malt and brew its very own barley, all within the confines of a few hundred metres.
Plans were made, passionate people got together and barley was sown. These little seeds carried ambition and hope. Nestled between the village church and rolling fields, the barley sprung into life. But this wasn’t just an exercise in brewing beer, it was so much more. It was about reviving tradition and following in the footsteps of the ancients of the Waveney Valley.
The Blessing of the Barley Queen – a folk tradition
Grain Brewery – so aptly named – set about reviving a long-forgotten barley blessing, once common in this part of the world to celebrate both barley and beer.
Tradition called for a ‘lady mature in years and wisdom’ to bless the growing crop around the time of the spring equinox. Her mission was to stir the four natural elements of earth, fire, air and water, to ensure a plentiful harvest.
In 2024, the tradition was reignited and a woman from the village was chosen to bless the growing barley – which was steadily growing in the shadow of the church in a field along the St Michael and St Mary ley line. As the barley reached its peak, local farmers harvested the crop and it has since been on a journey through malting, milling and brewing to produce the brewery’s very own Barley Queen beer.
This year, I was honoured to be called to take on the role of Barley Queen to officiate at the The Blessing of the Barley Queen. My job? To bless the barley and the beer it has produced. Following a parade of musicians and men dressed as woodland creatures I dutifully called on the four elements of nature – from the top of a cherry picker – to bless the harvest, the land and the crop. At the ceremony, as only the fourth person (maybe?!) to have tried the Barley Queen beer, I too offered it a blessing before beer flowed, music rang out and people danced. It sung of folklore, of tradition, pride and merriment – and it was a privilege to be a part of it.
Life is all about living, and this quirky, revived tradition certainly brings life to this wonderful part of the world and the arable fields of south Norfolk.
So, if you see me before the blessing of the next Barley Queen, there’s no need to doff your hat or curtsey, a pint of beer will suffice!
(Thank you to everyone who sent me photos, some of which are used here!).