Taste for tipple may lead to expansion

9:00am Friday 8th September 2006

A BREWERY poised to move into bigger premises in North Yorkshire might need to expand further after securing its biggest export order to date.

Hambleton Ales is shipping its gluten-free ale (GFA) to America to be distributed across 33 states in a deal potentially worth hundreds of thousands of pounds a year.

If sales take off, owner Nick Stafford fears the purpose-built brewery Hambleton Ales plans to move into at Melmerby could be too small.

The firm's first shipment of GFA - branded 'Toleration' for the American market - left Felixstowe for New York just days ago.

The delivery of 22,000 bottles to agent B United International will be sold on to wholesalers and then to retailers across the US.

Mr Stafford said: "The first shipment will just test the water, but the potential for growth is enormous over there and we are very excited.

"There is not a lot of competition in America and the samples we sent earlier were very well received."

The US is the UK's biggest beer export market. Meanwhile, America's gluten-free food and drink market is forecast to be worth £1.7bn by 2010.

Hambleton Ales launched its award-winning GFA in February last year, followed by a gluten-free lager this year. It also brews a range of ales, including Nightmare, Stud, and Thoroughbred.

Company turnover recently broke through the £1m mark and, two months ago, Mr Stafford predicted production would double in five years.

However, yesterday, he said: "This has blown all expectations out the water. I don't know how big this will be, but the market for gluten-free produce in the US is huge. Our production will definitely increase significantly on the back of this"

Mr Stafford fears its new £1m brewery under construction in Melmerby may be too small to cope with increasing demand and will need to be expanded sooner than expected.

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