An East Anglian ale brewed with barley long thought to have been extinct has been shortlisted for a major industry award.

An East Anglian ale brewed with barley long thought to have been extinct has been shortlisted for a major industry award.

Greene King’s Vintage Heritage Fine Ale was launched in January as a limited edition bottle-conditioned ale, having been created using East Anglian Chevallier malted barley, a variety which had been thought to be lost forever.

Five preserved Chevallier seeds were discovered, re-sown and crops harvested to create the volume required to replicate a traditional Greene King real ale from the 1800s.

The 6.5% abv brew has now been shortlisted for the Prize of the Jury 2018 at the Monde 2018 World Quality Selections

The barley was grown in Norfolk and malted locally.

The awards will be presented at the Monde Selections Annual Awards on Friday May 24, in Valencia.

Greene King managing director Clive Chesser said: “We are delighted to receive this recognition for Vintage Heritage Fine Ale from Monde Selections. As brewers since 1799, we are fortunate to have a wonderfully rich heritage of brewing know-how and recipes to draw upon for inspiration to create new, innovative and interesting beers.”