Freedom Brewery toasts record sales

Freedom Brewery is celebrating four consecutive months of growth — July's sales were 112% up on last year.

The Staffordshire-based firm's brands are now stocked in 150 pubs — at the start of the year only 25 pubs sold Freedom's brews.

Susan Mayman, who co-owns the brewery along with her husband Ed, said the firm had recruited a new national brands manager who used to work for Scottish & Newcastle, and set up shop at a number of summer festivals to increase brand awareness. Freedom sold out of 120 kegs at the Secret Garden festival.

"It's just gone absolutely crazy this year," said Mayman. "We've taken on a lot of customers, especially on the draught lager side. We're struggling to keep up."

Mayman said sales of the its organic lagers are strong, helped by a wholesale distribution agreement with Bath Ales in the south-west, which has signed up 30 new accounts in the Bristol and Bath area.

The company has just launched Freedom Four, a 4% ABV Helles pale lager, which Mayman says has been "selling well".

Mayman said the aim is to "double capacity by next year". To this end Freedom plans to recruit another brewer in the autumn, and plans to install four new 5,000 litre maturation tanks.

The firm has a current brew length of 2,500 litres, and makes 10 brews per fortnight.

The brewer's other brands include a Pilsner, organic lager and organic dark lager.