AN AWARD-WINNING local business have made the most of a £100,000 grant by expanding their existing building, creating five new jobs.

The Marches Building Investment Grant, from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) via Herefordshire Council, has seen Wye Valley Brewery able to develop further.

Since 1985, the family-owned Wye Valley Brewery have been producing cask, keg and bottled beers using ingredients sourced locally.

Set up by ex-Guinness brewer, Peter Amor, 35 years later the company is now brewing and delivering more than 12 million pints a year to 1,200 pubs, restaurants and bars throughout the West Midlands and South Wales.

Vernon Amor, managing director of Wye Valley Brewery, said: “We are delighted to have completed our latest significant investment at Wye Valley Brewery with assistance from the Marches Building Investment Grant Scheme, care of the ERDF.

"Our new building improves our efficiency and helps towards our ‘green’ goals. For the first time, we’ve our cask-washing, filling, storing and loading bays under one roof, as well as additional roof space to increase our solar PV installations.”

The funding from ERDF has enabled Wye Valley Brewery to extend an existing building at the rear of their nine-acre site in Stoke Lacy, near Bromyard, providing much-needed additional storage at optimum temperatures and multi-level loading bays to maximise the brewery’s distribution of its products.

The new facilities also allow the consolidation of cask washing/filling operations and storage in one building, improving efficiency and safety.

Coun Trish Marsh, Cabinet Member for Environment, Economy and Skills, said: “The council are delighted to have been able to allocate Marches Building Investment Grant funding to allow Wye Valley Brewery to continue to flourish. It is one of our priorities to support the growth of our local economy and it is wonderful to see a local business continue to expand, attracting investment, creating jobs, and providing the county with a range of delicious beverages.”