“This week sees the annual Great British Beer Festival hit London, an event I have frequently attended. The hot news this year from CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) and the Beer Academy is that beer can help UK consumers lose weight. Yes, it is a fact that beer, when drunk in moderation, can help you drop the pounds, lower alcohol consumption, and in general, complement a hale and hearty way of life.

Here are the published details:

• New research shows 34 per cent of men and 29 per cent of women incorrectly believe that beer has more calories than other alcoholic drinks
• Swapping wine for beer for a single week saves as many calories as a half hour jog!*

Lose weight with beer? Yes, really

In terms of specific weight-loss for drinks, here goes: Half a pint of 3.8 per cent strength beer has 85 calories; there are 119 in a 175ml glass of red wine; and 128 in a half pint of orange juice.

Stay trim post holiday

Inspired (and trying to resume trimness post-holiday), one of my top summer tipples is currently Young’s London Gold (4.8 per cent abv). This fine and luscious summertime brew is an elegant, golden and full-of-flavour bottle conditioned beer with a brisk bite at the end of each mouthful. My father said “summer in a bottle – so long as it’s chilled” – and he loves it!

As with all Young’s beers, London Gold is brewed with 100 per cent farm assured English barley and carries the Red Tractor logo (an independent mark of quality that guarantees the beer meets high standards of safety, hygiene and environmental protection). Young’s were one of the first beers to qualify for this because they use quality English Maris Otter barley, assisting to the future of local farmers.

London Gold itself is bright and mildly floral with lots of fruit flavour and is just as good on its own as it is with summery dishes.

Festival beers

Here are a couple of other great beers I tasted at the Great British Beer Festival (although they might be less accessible than Young’s):

Triple Solitaire from Saltaire Brewery (4.8 per cent abv)
A choco-looking beer! This one has aromas of hot chocolate, even thought it is best served chilled. There are lots of vanilla flavours and this would be sublime with a cheesecake pudding.

Thornbridge Craven Silk (4.0 per cent abv)
A fruit beer with masses of elderflower on the nose and less on the palate to make an aromatic yet very clean beer; it is moreish and creamy – sublime.

Still intrigued? If you can uncover Rogues Juniper Pale Ale and/or Eel River Acai Berry Wheat then do place a comment and let’s exchange notes.”

*Based on Food Standards Agency Calorie Calculator.