East Coast Brewery Company owners Dave and Maureen James were delighted with the turn-out as dozens of people arrived within minutes of them opening the doors to the former stables in Clay House Yard, off Mitford Street.

The three beers on tap were John Paul Jones – named after the American naval hero whose ship the Bonhomme Richard sank off Filey Bay during the American War of Independence – and old recipes Moodies Mild and Empress of India.

“Fantastic” was the verdict of real ale fan Ray Furner, of York.

Retired headteacher Jan Charters, who runs an annual beer festival in Rotherham to raise funds for her old school, said: “I don’t think this area has a lot of micro-breweries, and CAMRA is very much into the idea of local beers for local people.”

While quenching their thirst, visitors were able to see the barrels where the beer is fermented and smell samples of the hops, barley and wheat that goes into the brew.

East Coast Brewery beers can now be found in various pubs across the region, including Bonhomme’s bar in Filey and the North Riding in North Marine Road, Scarborough.

l More on this story, with more photos, in this week’s Filey and Hunmanby Mercury.