A BREWERY is toasting a tie-in with the East of England Co-op as a study revealed the number of drinkers trying real ale has gone up by 40%.

Nethergate Brewery has produced three ales which are set to appear under the Co-op’s new ‘Sourced Locally’ label.

The three ales, brewed exclusively for the Co-op in Pentlow, near Clare, will be available in all its supermarkets and food stores across East Anglia from August 8.

The three ales, Golden, Ruby and Dark, will retail at �1.89.

The Dark and Ruby Ales have previously been brewed by Nethergate, but the Gold Ale is new.

Kevin Warden, Local Sourcing Manager for the East of England Co-operative said: “This is an exciting new development in our local sourcing programme and I hope it signals the start of many more products under the ‘Sourced Locally’ label.

Rob Flanagan, Managing Director of Clare Brewing Co., which owns Nethergate Brewery said: “Nethergate has been brewing award winning beers for 24 years and we are delighted to be partnering the East of England Co-operative, a high quality retailer, in this innovative collaboration.” The number of drinkers trying real ale for the first time has increased by 40% in the past few years, while 200 new breweries have opened, a study showed today.

The Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) says there were now over 800 breweries in the UK, reflecting a “surge” of interest in real ale.

Its study, published yesterday, revealed the number of drinkers trying real ale was on the increase, while 200 new breweries had opened in recent years.