GLUTEN-FREE brewery Bellfield is aiming to raise £500,000 to support its expansion, through a mix of equity, grants and loans.

The Edinburgh craft brewer plans to create 12 new jobs over the next three years, which will include a team of experienced account managers as the firm looks to ramp up distribution.

The expanded numbers will also allow the existing operational team to commit on a full-time basis and strengthening the sales and management teams.

As part of its plans, Bellfield is also set to double its range of beers, including the introduction of a stout, which is believed to be a particular challenge to make without gluten.

The brewers use alternative cereals in the recipes for its Lawless Village IPA and Bellfield Bohemian pilsner.

Bellfield brewer and head of business development Kieran Middleton, said: “In the first year of trading we have established that there is considerable demand for our products, and have delivered on our ambition to produce beer that stands up to anything in the market.”

The company has won a number of major listings, including a national deal with foodservice wholesaler Bidvest. Matthew Clark, Amathus, Green City, Inverarity Morton, Gordon & Macphail and Craft Beer Clan Scotland also distribute the beers.

“We now need to capitalise on this opportunity by growing the sales and operational team and extending our range of beers,” added Mr Middleton.

Ahead of its launch in 2015, Bellfield raised £180,000 through the crowdfunding platform Crowdcube. Six of the larger investors from this initial round have already committed to investing in this next fund raising round.

The fundraiser is being supported by the Corporate Finance team at Henderson Loggie Chartered Accountants and legal advisers Harper Macleod.

Bellfield’s beers are stocked in about 200 bars, restaurants and independent bottle shops, mostly in the central belt of Scotland, although the brewery is starting to make inroads into London and the south east.

Export deals have been struck in Singapore and Switzerland, and from April, its beers will be available in bars on CalMac’s fleet of 32 ferries.