Alcohol-free beers now account for a tenth of a Suffolk brewer’s overall sales as drinking habits change.

St Peter’s Brewery, based near Bungay, said that sales of its Without Original, launched last August, are booming, causing the company to expand its on-site capacity and increase production significantly to cope with the growing demand.

In July, the firm launched its second zero alcohol craft beer, Without Gold, to appeal to lager and ale drinkers looking for a fresher and lighter alternative.

“Without Original has been a huge success, as we knew it would be. We are certain Without Gold will be just as popular, if not more so,” said chief executive Steve Magnall. “There’s further investment in the pipeline. These products are making a huge impact at a time when people are crying out for decent alcohol-free alternatives and are fed up with the array of dealcoholised, weak offerings from many of the breweries.”

Without Original is now sold in Tesco, Nisa, The Co-Op and Wholefoods, as well as in M&B restaurants across the UK.

The company has also secured deals in Spain, Finland, Germany, Denmark, France, the USA, the Netherlands and UAE, with more in the pipeline.

The launch of Without Gold is likely to increase production even more in the months ahead, the firm said.