St Peter's Brewery up for sale

Suffolk-based St Peter's Brewery Company is up for sale with a price tag of around £20m.

The operation, based at St Peter's Hall near Bungay, is in its tenth year of producing organic and flavoured ales, selling 75 per cent of its bottled beer production overseas and is running out of capacity to meet demand.

"We've spent a long time building up the brand and the business is in good shape," said managing director Colin Cordy (pictured)​, who added the rationale for selling was relatively straightforward.

"Our exports are up 54 per cent year-on-year, we need more capacity and we wanted to see if the St Peter's brand is attractive elsewhere."

Additionally the brewery's founder and sole shareholder, John Murphy, who is 61, had decided to give up his business interests, a situation which had made a sale more likely.

The company said it had considered floating, but preferred the option of seeking a buyer.

"St Peter's could be a neat fit for an operation looking to boost their overseas sales," said Mr Cordy, who added the company was looking for someone who will take the brand forward and "not just buy the company and close down the brewery".