Butcombe, the fastest growing Brewery in the West Country, now has the fastest growing major bottled ale brand in the UK (Source: Nielsen Scantrack Top Thirty Brewers Retail Sales 52 weeks to December 24th). Butcombe has enjoyed growth of its brands by a huge 317% during 2011.

The growth is due to the expansion of its bottled beer range led by its flagship ale, Butcombe Bitter, in major retail accounts including: Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons, as well as an increased distribution through its exclusive wholesaler Booker.

Butcombe has also had great success in its recent joint initiative with television’s favourite farmer, Adam Henson, developing and launching a new beer during 2011 – ‘Adam Henson’s Rare Breed’. This high profile association has also led to the Brewery extending its distribution within the Gloucester and Cheltenham territories where Adam’s Cotswold Farm Park is well-known as well as northwards up to Hereford and Worcester.

Guy Newell, managing director, Butcombe Brewery says: “The recent expansion of our bottled beer sales has been phenomenal and, without doubt, our link with Adam Henson has benefited the rest of the Butcombe range. Through our recently launched dedicated bottle beer website, browsers can view independent reports, guides and trends on the bottled ale business as a whole. While we of course promote our own brands, we aim to support the bottled ale category as a whole, as we are encouraging retailers to stock a wider range of beer”.

Butcombe brands can be found in over 540 supermarkets across the UK, as well as a large number of independent convenience stores and off licences. The range includes: Butcombe Bitter (4.5% A.B.V.), Butcombe Gold (4.7% A.B.V.), Butcombe Blond (4.5% A.B.V.), Butcombe Brunel IPA (5.0% A.B.V.) and Adam Henson’s Rare Breed (4.2% A.B.V.).

For further information on all Butcombe Brewery’s bottled beers, visit http://www.butcombebottles.com/ or follow Butcombe Brewery on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Butcombe-Brewery