A Suffolk brewery is toasting two new contracts with retailers Oddbins and Majestic for its alcohol-free beer.

St Peter’s Without, made by Bungay-based St Peter’s brewery, will be supplied to all Oddbins’ 47 stores across the UK, while Majestic will start selling it locally in East Anglia.

“The momentum for St Peter’s Without is really starting to build,” said brewery chief executive Steve Magnall, who launched the product in August 2016.

“We are gaining new retailers every month and these contracts with Oddbins and Majestic will continue to help us reach new customers.

“The demand for alcohol-free beer is in growth. Consumers want a quality product that tastes as good as their usual pint and St Peter’s Without delivers on both flavour and character. Low alcohol options are no longer of interest to so many consumers, whereas zero alcohol beers such as Without fit the bill. That’s why retailers are so keen to stock it.”

The contracts with the leading off-licences, will increase sales of the beer, made at the St. Peter South Elmham brewery.

“We expect sales of St Peter’s Without to grow steadily this year as more and more retailers recognise the growing demand for high-quality, alcohol-free beer,” said Steve.

Steve, who was formerly brewing director at Bury St Edmunds brewery Greene King and then managing director at Blackburn-based brewery Thwaites and St Peter’s head brewer Steve Groves led the development of the product, and founder and chairman John Murphy, formerly founder of Interbrand and Chair of Plymouth Gin, was involved throughout.

St Peter’s believes that the launch of Without may be particularly timely, at a time when much reduced blood alcohol limits for driving have been introduced in Scotland, and road safety campaigners are calling for further rollout.