A new Westbury micro-brewer is raising its glass to a successful first few months of business which has seen weekly sales of 3,500 pints sold through 62 local pubs.

Twisted Brewing’s owner Andrew Murray only decided to create the micro-brewery in December 2013 and benefited from a Rural Economy Grant from the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) of almost £35,000 – more than one third of the new business’s start-up costs.

“Friends of friends have a micro-brewery in Northampton which sewed the seed,” said Mr Murrary, 49.

“It is a great industry which has had great growth over the years and continues to grow on an annual basis.

“I was certain there was a market for locally-brewed ales, and wanted to get going quickly after finding the ideal base at the West Wiltshire Trading Estate in Westbury. I realised we ticked the boxes for the grant and delighted to receive it.”

“The grant meant there was less reason for me to borrow and the speed of my actions could be quicker.”

Twisted Brewing currently produces four ales, all with different characters, reflected in their names: Pirate, Gaucho, Conscript and Rider. They are sold within a 25-mile radius of the brewery, to freehouses and through pub company outlets including Enterprise and Wetherspoons, as far as Bristol and Bath. The brews are all taste tested and quality accredited through the Cyclops system.

Mr Murray, who travelled around the world with the Navy, Army & Air Force Institutes (NAAFI) before settling in Wiltshire, launched the business in May this year.

The father-of-three said: “It has been fantastic and really well received by the pubs and by customers.

“We have evolved our beer to local taste, which is something we continue to do. The heart of what we do is local ethos. We want to stay local.

“We want to continue to evolve. We want to stabilise the business in the first year and continue to provide hand crafted beers.”

Mr Murray’s advice to people wanting to start their own business is: “Do a lot of research, put together a robust business plan and enjoy yourselves.”