A MALVERN brewery has won contracts to stock its real ales and lagers on supermarket shelves in the county.

The Friday Beer Company has become a favourite with real ale enthusiasts across the country since its launch in 2011, but now, after securing funding from the Worcestershire Business Loan Fund, they have been able to tap into a new market.

Local supermarket chains Co-op, Morrisons and Waitrose have been won over by the firm’s bottled range, which can now be found on their shelves in and around Malvern.

Gerald Williams, one of three directors at The Friday Beer Company, said: “It was our aspiration to scale up the business and increase our brewing capacity.

“Although our manual bottling method could process up to 1,500 bottles per day, this wasn’t fast enough and we realised we needed to improve this.

“It was at this point that we approached the Worcestershire Business Loan Fund through BCRS Business Loans. They were able to provide us with a business loan to secure our cashflow situation. As a result, we now have the capacity to produce up to 4,500 bottles per day. We would definitely recommend the Worcestershire Business Loan Fund and BCRS Business Loans to any growing business.”

The Worcestershire Business Loan Fund supports the growth of viable businesses, offering loans from £10,000 up to £50,000 over a three year term.

Angie Preece, business development manager at BCRS Business Loans, said: “Small businesses are at the heart of what we do, and we are committed to ensuring that no viable business is left unsupported.”

Lorna Jeynes, the business growth manager at Worcestershire County Council, who co-financed the loan with BCRS, said: "Gerald and the team at Friday Beer are great ambassadors for small business.

“It is always fantastic to see people following their growth ambitions and the loan from BCRS has helped them achieve their aspirations and scale up production - it has been great to see their products on the shelves in big supermarkets."

Anyone interested in applying for a loan can visit bcrs.org.uk or call 0345 313 8410.