INDEPENDENT brewing firm Otley has expanded its site in Cilfynydd to match customer demand for its cask ales and bottled beers.

The brewery’s Real Beer Box, a pack of hand-selected ales, ciders and perries that customers can select and order online, was its best-seller through Christmas and the company saw a 500% increase in sales compared to last year.

As a result of the Real Beer Box sales and the company’s growth, Otley has invested £4,000 to increase its capacity by around 75%, creating a customer shop, offices and a meeting room at its site in Cilfynydd.

Later this year, Otley – which had a turnover of around £385,000 in its last financial year – will expand its cold store and secure a new unit for bottling its beers.

Nick Otley, managing director of Otley Brewing, said: “It’s a really exciting time for us, and despite the current economic climate, we have experienced strong growth. There’s evidently a demand for our products, both through direct customers to the brewery and those who choose to drink our brews in pubs.

“Leading up to Christmas in 2008 we sold an average of 20 Real Beer Boxes per day and this time round we sold up to 100 each day. We almost ran out of stock, so we needed to call in three extra staff to help us get the beer boxes out on time.

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